


Mortis Lux

by tainted_ashes



Category: Death Note
Genre: Alternate Universe - Light Is Not Kira, Alternate Universe - No Death Note, Chaos, Eventually Lawlight, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Graphic Description, Graphic Description of Corpses, Horror, Inspired by Death Note, Inspired by The Walking Dead, M/M, Major Character Injury, Major Illness, Major Violence, Multi, Multiple Pairings, Pregnancy, Romance, Running, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Suicide, Survival, Violence, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, plot heavy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-19 21:30:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 51,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8225347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tainted_ashes/pseuds/tainted_ashes
Summary: As calamity ravages the world around them a group of weary survivors meet under unforeseen circumstances and struggle to survive.





	1. Dying Light

**Author's Note:**

> I do note own Death Note or The Walking Dead.

_**Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive.** _

_**―Jamais Cascio** _

* * *

 

Like every other day, Light Yagami awoke at six am sharp.

And like every other day, Light Yagami wore his mask to the world.

Stretching out of bed after a few hours of sleep, Light arose in a dim room he shared with his wife. Judging from the smell of breakfast that lingered in the air, Misa was already awake and preparing a meal before he began his day.

Like every other day, Light went into the bathroom and showered for fifteen minutes before standing in front of the mirror for another twenty. Carefully he combed his hair and styled it just right. Applied his moisturizer and lotion. Carefully crafted himself for the day ahead. Honey eyes looked over himself from the mirror in front of him.

Like any other day, Light dressed in a stunning chocolate suit and red tie. Since seventeen years of age, Light Yagami had always sought to follow in his fathers footsteps. Earning his degree in criminology and graduating top of his class from university, Light has made his path and followed it.

Now at the age of twenty-three, Light has carefully formed his career within the National Police Agency.

So today was no different. He had risen through the ranks and accepted desk work among other things before he was placed out on the field. He has solved every case while in and out of the field and became quite the 'most talked about' among most of the officers.

And then finally, he became Detective Yagami.

When Light had entered the kitchen he was greeted by his wife, who smiled and kissed him on his cheek before placing a plate in front of him. Misa was the perfect image of what a house wife should be. She dotted over Light and everyone around them was envious of the perfect marriage they seemed to display. They had been married since Light had turned nineteen.

Lights parents, Soichiro and Sachiko, had always taken quite a shine to Misa. So it was no surprise when Light had eventually proposed to her. Feeling his walls were closing in for the fact he hadn't married yet, he figured why not. Although he did not return the undying love Misa seemed to display for him, he did care about her and wanted her happy.

Light smiled a bit stiffly before sitting down and pulling out his phone as he began to browse through news. Misa had walked over again to place a steaming mug of coffee in front of him.

Light took his first careful sip with a sigh.

"Should I expect you home late again?" Misa asked quietly while she went and placed dishes in the sink. There was a bit of sadness in her tone, though she did her best to appear cheerful and upbeat at all times.

Light looked up and regarded Misa quietly. "We've talked about this," he replied.

The blonde sighed. "I know... it's just..." Misa leaned against the counter while the water still ran. She wore a soft sun dress the was quite pleasing to the eye. Her hair was pulled back today with a clip that matched her outfit. "We haven't spent much time together lately, since the last case you've been on. I just miss having you around."

"I told you, when we finish this case, I can take time off." Light took a few bites of his meal quickly when he looked at his watch. "We can go anywhere you'd like. I have to see this through though. I'm leading the team right now. None of us have been able to be home."

Misa turned around and smiled a bit of a brighter smile. "Promise?"

Light stood up gracefully and walked over to his wife, placing a quick kiss on her forehead. "Of course," he said. He reached along the counter to take his wallet and keys. "We have a serial killer on the loose and we are very close to catching him. We are working with some of the best agencies to get our killer. We are closing in on them. So please be patient."

"Alright..." Misa said when Light retreated and headed for the door. "Have a good day!" she called out behind him.

Their apartment was lavishly decorated (Misa had insisted) and beautiful. Nothing was out of place. It was almost as if his home was for show. Light was content with it though, with the life he had established for himself.

But it was the same thing every single day. _Rinse, spit, repeat._

 

* * *

 

 

 When Light had arrived at the police station, it was just after 7:15. Light had always insisted on being early. He was very particular about attendance. He had yet to miss a day and he prided himself on it. He enjoyed what he did, he was absolutely passionate about it.

There were very few officers present, only some that had been there through out the night and Light gave a nod in greeting before moving toward his desk.

He knew his father was already here. Had it not been for Misa, Light would have been overnight too. She insisted he come home at least for a couple hours of rest. Although Light did spent most nights home, (Misa was relentless) he did have a few nights he retired here to sleep.

Light took a seat at his desk and flipped open his laptop while sorting through stacks upon stacks of papers. The current serial killer they were after had been moving all through out Japan for quite a few months now. The murders had now moved to his town and he wouldn't stop until he knew he was caught. They had recently, and reluctantly, sought out the help from one of the best credible sources out there.

_L._

L, known as the greatest detective in the world, was in the process of guiding Lights team through these killings. His insight was unlike anything Light had ever seen before and he couldn't help but feel that one day, perhaps, he'd be able to say he was a great detective himself.

Although he was a very well respected detective now, Light couldn't think of anything more rewarding than traveling the entire world and solving cases. It had been a dream of his since he was a child. Through hard work and tenacity, Light hoped one day he'd succeed.

Light's thoughts interrupted when he heard footsteps followed by a yawn. He turned and regarded the man that walked passed him toward his own desk.

"Morning," Shuichi Aizawa greeted dully.

"Morning," Light greeted a little more cheerfully while he went over his work. "Long night?"

"Ugh," the man responded. Aizawa's hair was in more disarray than usual. "Understatement. Eriko had me up all night. I swear, it's almost as if women enjoy fighting!"

Light chuckled. "They have to keep us on our toes somehow," he replied. Aizawa just sighed at that. Light tilted his head. "Want some coffee?"

"Please," he said as he plopped at his desk.

Light made his way over toward the small counter that had a coffee machine and began to make them both a cup. As he was beginning this process, he noticed a few more people walking in. Light felt a presence next to him and could  _feel_ who was next to him.

"Good morning!" Touta Matsuda said happily at his side. He reached for a mug by Light's hand and began to pour himself a cup. Matsuda was, although admittedly clumsy, an honest man who tried his hardest. He was Light's partner at the station and they had been working together for years. Although he was a bit older than Light and had a little more experience in this line of work, Light trusted the man. He had been working with his father before hand after all and his father was quite thorough in who he wanted on certain cases. "Anything new come up while I was home?"

Light walked passed Matsuda and placed a hot, steaming mug on Aizawa's desk. The man sighed happily and took an immediate sip.

"We're noticing very erratic patterns in how this person kills. They're targeting both young and older individuals. Different races and backgrounds. Figuring out a motive behind these killings is damn near impossible," Aizawa stated as he continued to sip on his coffee.

The current killer they were investigating was originally attacking the Kanto region of Japan. It started out with much older victims. Usually in their fifties of sixties. Light had noticed a very drastic change though. Their ages began to fluctuate from the age of 18 to the age of 80. Victims began to spead through out Japan. Their number of victims was beginning to reach double digits and although Light's father knew better than to alert the public, Soichiro did try to reach out the credible source.

They were to have their first meeting with L today. Light truly hoped the man lived up to his expectations because they truly needed a lead and a break in this case.

Speaking of the man, Soichiro had walked out of his office and into the small area that contained his detectives. Most officers were out for their morning duties, although a few of them were busy with their own work, so there wasn't too much traffic at the station that day. It was a Saturday. It they weren't here, they were home.

"Our meeting with L will begin in 10 minutes. We'll use the conference room. Light, do you have everything ready?"

Light had just taken his seat and began to navigate through his laptop. "All profiles of the victims. Health and medical records. Public and private records... all here, Dad."

Soichiro nodded wearily. 

Within minutes, their team was assembling inside of the conference room to begin their briefing. They sat along a single gray conference table and began to lay out their current documents, police reports, autopsy's and more. The brought in their mugs of coffee while Soichiro sat at the head of the table. Light took his respective seat along with Matsuda, Aizawa and a few other detectives on their team named Ide, Mogi and Ukita. All who were men Light and his father had worked with for years. Not quite as closely, but they had all worked together nonetheless.

They sat quietly for a few moments before a tall, dark figure had emerged from the door at the end of the room. The figure walked soundlessly with a laptop under one arm while the other adjusted his hat. He kept his head bowed for the most part but Light couldn't see his face even if he had lifted his head. He had it concealed behind some sort of mask or scarf that covered the lower half of his face.

The figured looked over at each member of the team and Soichiro nodded his head. The laptop was placed in the middle of the table and than the lid of the device was raised. At first, all everybody in the room could see was a blank screen.  

Then, a gothic letter 'L' had appeared.

Light's back seemed to stiffen a bit, as if in anticipation. Everybody else seemed to sit a bit more straight when the letter appeared on the screen.s "L will address you all now," the cloaked figure said as he moved to back away a bit from the table.

 "Thank you..." a deeply computerized voice replied through the laptop speakers.

 Light couldn't quite pinpoint if he was right, but he was sure this man was looking at all of them through the camera provided with the device on the table. It was quiet for a few more moments...

"Greetings to all of you of the NPA, I am L." 

Soichiro Yagami cleared his throat. "Good morning, L. I am Chief of the NPA. Soichiro Yagami. These are my current detectives on the Kanto's Killer case; Detective Yagami, Aizawa, Matsuda, Mogi, Ukita and Ide. Detective Yagami is currently leading this investigation."

"I see..." the computerized voice replied; curiosity overtaking his tone. "Pleased to meet all of you. I am confident that each of you have contributed substantially to this case. I have heard quite a bit about each of you. Especially you, Light Yagami."

Light's head perked up a bit at his name and, from the corner of his eye, he could see everyone in the room look at him curiously. Light kept his face in check though, nodding with a small smile.

"The same could be said about you," he replied evenly.

There was a chuckle, a small one, before L continued. "From what I understand, we have a killer on the loose. His targeting is both sporadic and unorganized, which leaves more questions than answers. Tell me, what have you all gathered so far?"

* * *

 

Hours seemed to go by while they all compiled and went through evidence. Light's entire team brainstormed along with L to pinpoint what motive this killer could possibly have. Nothing seemed to stand out. Ages meant nothing. Financial's were all different... so it wasn't that either. 

"Man... I don't see anything to compare!" Matsuda exclaimed dramatically. 

Light huffed a bit to himself. He felt as though every cell in brain was working on overdrive. L, for the most part, had remained quiet.

"It may seem hopeless... but we will find something. Even if we have to be here all night again. There has to be something we're not seeing." Soichiro stated from the head of the conference table.

Light was about to put his own positive two cents in when something caught his eye. He leaned forward in his chair and looked down at the paper. It was one of the victims profiles.

_Jetsuke Tykomoto, age 37. Biochemist._

Light tilted his head a bit. That was quite a profession. The brunette was surprised that hadn't jumped out from the page to begin with. The entire investigation team had been more focused on ages and finances, he hadn't even taken into account professions.

_Aria Siachuci, age 69. Epidemiologist._

_Hashimora Yole, age 51. Cytologist._

These... are very striking job descriptions.

"Detective Yagami," L's computerized voice broke Light out of his thoughts. He looked up and stared at the gothic letter on the laptop in front of him. "You appear to be in thought... has something caught your eye?"

"Yes," he replied quickly. "I'm not sure if anybody else has noticed... but the job descriptions are all the same. These people were all scientists. That has to explain why they're all being targeted. This cannot be a coincidence."

A few quiet murmurs spread through the room. Aizawa was flipping through his own notes. His eyes widened a bit. "Holy crap... Light, you're right."

"Scientists... that is quite an alarming similarity among these individuals. I am glad I was not the only one who had noticed," _So he was testing us?_ That brings us one step closer to understanding our killer. Excellent work, Detective Yagami; all of you. I believe this information will prove to be extremely useful. I will contact you all tomorrow and allow you the rest of the day to go over this information and I shall do the same. Perhaps tomorrow we can solve this case and move forward."

Light smiled proudly at the laptop for a brief moment before the screen went black. The nameless man moved back toward the table to retrieve his equipment. He was quick to gather it all up. He bowed slightly and took his leave without saying a word. Everyone that was left in the room began to sort through their newly found evidence. Light truly hoped tomorrows meeting could be the closure they needed to solving this case. 

* * *

 Around 7 in the evening, Light was sitting at his desk while going over their newly found evidence. He had planned on being home at a decent time tonight, thinking that nothing new was going to come up for the case. How anybody had missed such a substantial detail was beyond him. He was glad he had spotted it though.

What Light couldn't figure out why scientists were being targeted. Perhaps because of their wealth? Or a scientific development that caused someone to be angry? There wasn't much room or motive to point out what it could be. Scientists, especially experienced ones, were serious in the role of society whether anybody realized it or not.

Light leaned his face into his hand as he continued to skim through autopsies and reports. The youngest of the victims was studying biochemistry in college. Even that didn't make any sense. Although the new lead was helpful, it left more questions than answers.

That was why L was going to help them along. He could see things that others couldn't. The man never had a cold case or lost one. 

"Hey, I'm heading home. You should probably do the same," Aizawa said as he walked past Light. He stretched his arms above his head. "If I don't get home soon, my wife is going to rip me a new one. Don't really feel like dealing with it tonight."

Light chuckled and leaned back into his chair. "As much as I'd love to go home, I'm still going over these reports to find a pattern. I'll give myself another hour and go," he said lightly.

Aizawa nodded and took his leave, murmuring a quick 'see you tomorrow'. Most of the team had retired for the evening for their meeting with L in the morning. Light still had enough time to get rest, so he stayed a bit longer. He continued to go over his work quietly.

Light sent a quick text message to his wife, letting her know he'd be home within the hour. As he was doing this, his father came out of his office hurriedly. He looked completely exasperated.

"Officers are responding to a chase on Shuto Expressway. They have a hostage with them who they believe is a college student in the area. I'm sending you and Matsuda out right now!"

Light and Matsuda moved fluidly, gathering up their holsters for their guns and wrapped them around their bodies. 

"You got it, Chief." Matsuda said as him and Light made their way through the station. Both of them found the garage where police vehicles were kept and made their way into their assigned car. Matsuda took the wheel while Light quickly worked the radio to the officers responding to the scene. Matsuda was already flying out the station before Light could even get a word in.

"This is Detective Yagami, what are your positions?" 

"We currently chasing the suspect down Shuro Highway... there only appears to be one person in the vehicle with them. The call was made by a civilian who watched the suspect grab the young woman. He is currently doing over 96 mph on the highway. Please be advised, he is armed. He is driving a silver Toyota Vista."

Light reached and turned on the sirens to the undercover police car.

While they were driving on the highway, Light noticed officers lined up along the road. One of the cars had been damaged severely on the side. That indicated they had all attempted to block off the road and the suspect had driven through carelessly. There was no mistaking this... this had to be the break they were looking for.

Light felt a surge of adrenaline shoot through his body at the thought of it. He truly hoped they could get the driver to eventually stop and save the young woman that was in their custody. He didn't want to see anybody die today.

Light took a deep breath and Matsuda turned to him briefly. "Do they have any idea who we're chasing?"

Light shook his head. "They hadn't said. I doubt anyone had time to profile him, given the situation. Let's just hope we can get him off the road." He leaned forward and grabbed the radio again, holding it to his mouth. "If there are any patrol cars ahead of the driver in suspect, please use this time to set down spike strips or any other non-lethal means to stop the car."

Light pulled the radio away from his face for a moment and moved some hair out of his face from the window. They had suddenly accelerated in speed as Matsuda had driven them onto a busier part of the highway. Vehicles moved out of the way as their sirens blared. 

"Affirmative, Detective Yagami. We're setting them down now. Suspect is getting off the exit for Ginza. Please be advised," a female officer responded.

"ETA, 5 minutes." Light responded and put the radio back in place. He held onto the side bar of the car as Matsuda accelerated to over 100 mph.

They made their way through the traffic on the highway and proceeded off the exit that the officer had stated a few moments before. The traffic was quite high but Light noticed a car fitting the current description making a turn away from the heavy traffic. They were trying to lose the current officers following them. Matsuda was an excellent driver, Light had to admit. He maneuvered the car well and before they knew it, they were behind their suspect.

It was pure luck that the street they ended up on was void of much traffic, it almost looked like a sort of country road that lead to a different part of the city. Up ahead, spike strips were set up. Matsuda began to slow down and pull off the side of the road where five other police vehicles were. Officiers were out with their guns drawn.

The spike strips did not teeter the suspect as he began to accelerate. In front of the strips were more police cars waiting if the driver had somehow gotten through. Light and Matsuda stepped out the car and immediately drew their weapons and waited.

The suspects tires hit the spikes and immediately flipped. Light nor his fellow officers had prepared for such an impact. Normally, a vehicle would hit and swerve off of the road. They all watched quietly as the car continued to flip and landed upside down on the other side of the road. Light could hear the woman inside screaming and he moved to hide beside the car next to his partner, watching as a young aged Japanese man staggered out of the car. He had blood coming down from his brow and he looked panicked. 

"Stay right where you are or we will shoot you!" Light screamed from across the street. The man didn't seem to listen to a word he had said, for he moved and grabbed the younger woman that was in the car and brought her to his side. He took his gun from his back pocket and pointed it to her head. She whimpered and struggled. She couldn't have been older than twenty. A young thing who was absolutely terrified. 

 As a warning, Matsuda shot off one shot near the ground. Right near the suspects foot. He froze, momentarily stunned by the shot. 

"I will not repeat myself. Move again and you will be shot, sir. Move away from the young lady and place your hands on the car. We do not want to shoot you."

The man seemed to consider their words. He didn't look much older than Light. Perhaps in his older twenties. He looked... more scared than vicious though. He was looking around him but he wasn't focusing on anything he was looking at. He was panicking.

"Sir... it's all right," Light had attempted again. He tried his best to sound soothing. "Just move away from the woman. You don't want to hurt her," he coaxed quietly. The man didn't have many options. It was either let the young woman go and surrender or get shot. One of the two was going to happen soon. Light and Matsuda were in agreement that when it came to these situations, they weren't to be reckless or careless in any way. He didn't want to rush and make a mistake. It could cost everyone around them their lives.

Light has had his share of death over the years as a detective. He didn't want to see that tonight. The sun around them was basking them in a deep orange. The city surrounding the small patch of quiet was eerily still.

"I-I can't!" The man said suddenly, pressing the barrel of the gun to the woman's temple with more force. The girl in his arms whimpered. "You don't understand... You don't understand! I have to do this!" The suspect was struggling with his words and he sounded slightly disturbed. He continued to say the same thing over again. "He'll kill me... you don't understand! Theres more of them! More of us!"

Light arched a brow from behind his gun. Was the man indicating there was more than one killer? He hadn't even considered the possibility. Light quietly wonders if L had. The entire surrounding of this case made absolutely no sense.

"Sir, please... I'm going to need to you to calm down and step away-" 

Before Light had a chance to finish or say anything else, the suspect had fired his gun. The bullet went straight through the young womans head. Blood and brain matter splattered onto the mans face as he began to move to gun toward the officers by Light. Light felt his brain shift into high gear and he, along with the rest of the police, began to open fire on the suspect. Light was gritting his teeth while he fired.

 _Shit..._ he thought.  _Fuck! Why did he have to shoot her, dammit?!_

The mans body was ridden with bullet wounds and blood seeped from them profusely. He gasped a bit and he, along with the woman he had still clenched in his grasp, fell onto the ground unceremoniously.

The only sound that could be heard after that was the traffic from the expressway and crickets as they began to chant. Night was approaching as the sun was beginning to set. The air around them all felt stiff and thickening.

Light lowered his weapon, alongside him he could see everyone else had done the same. Light felt his phone begin to vibrate in his pocket and he hastily retrieved it.

"Yagami," he said quietly. 

"Light, we en-route to your location. What's happening?" Soichiro asked. Light could hear the sound of the cars engine. His father was currently driving.

Light swallowed thickly. "They're both dead... the suspect shot the victim and attempted to open fire on the officers. We shot him in turn," he explained. "I'll go ahead and cover the scene... we'll make our reports and get it to L first thing tomorrow."

The was a pregnant pause before his father responded, "Alright, Light. Good job... you did what you could."

_I couldn't save yet another victim from a mindless act of murder... I didn't do a damn thing._

Light sighed and put his phone away. Matsuda was speaking to another police officer while Light made his way down toward the car. "Start closing off the scene, we'll investigate the car and get the bodies over to medical."

When Light had gotten to the bodies, he squatted down to examine them. His lips were formed in a deep frown. While he couldn't very well do anything for these two now, he hoped perhaps something in the car could help them along. All he really wanted to do now was lie down and perhaps vomit. The blood that continued to pour from both of the dead made Light's stomach turn. Even after his time on the force, the sight of death made him ill. He did his best to hide it.

Light stood up and made his way toward the car. Back up was arriving along with an ambulance as Light was looking at the car. It was flipped, so it was hard to tell what was in there. They were going to have to flip the car over to get a better look. The area around them was beginning to close off as yellow crime scene tape was placed all around. 

Light could see that his father squad car was pulling up to the scene. He turned away from the car and sighed. He just wanted this day to be over. Tonight both the bodies and car would be transported to the police station for further analysis. Until then, Light just wanted to go home. He was both physically and mentally drained from the day.

Light turned around and began to make his way toward his father when a noise from behind him halted him. The brunette didn't have enough time to turn around and react. A man, older than his father perhaps, opened the back trunk to the car and emerged from it. Light could hear his name being called from behind him... but it still wasn't enough time to react. The man had a gun in his hand and aimed it toward Light. 

All Light could register at that single moment, while his father and Matsuda were shouting his name, was a searing pain that enveloped from his shoulder. It felt like his entire upper body was suddenly consumed in fire. When Light turned to look down at his own body, blooding was pouring from a gaping wound between hisupper chest and shoulder.

More shots were fired and Light had fallen to his knees. Something had been ruptured and Light knew it. His breathing became sporadic, his heartbeat was flailing about his chest. How he, and every officer present, had not noticed someone hiding in the trunk... Light couldn't say. His body began to shut down on it's own. Every sense and cell within it colliding and separating him at the same time. More shouts reached Light's ears... but to no avail. 

Light hit the ground faster than he could register and lost conciseness.

* * *

                                             

Light could vaguely remember bits and pieces of his memories... each of them surfacing a bit at a time. His morning with his wife... arriving at work, yes. Their meeting with L. Gathering evidence and the highway chase. People dying... a shredding pain consuming his body.

What couldn't remember was why when he had awoken that day, his chest felt like a desert. Dry and hot. Wires and tubes littered his body as he tried to move.

Light awoke to a dim hospital room, florescent lights flickering above him as screaming and growls erupted beyond the door that held him.

* * *

 


	2. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light awakens in an abandoned hospital after three weeks. What he awakens to is unlike anything he's ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or The Walking Dead.

When awareness began to filter Light's consciousness, the first thing he felt was an unbearable weight among his chest. He felt as though his chest was constricted and hot. He could barely breathe. He opened his honey eyes slowly, taking in the lights above him. They were flickering... which was a bit annoying. He bit back a groan as he turned over to reach for the cup of water on the table next to his hospital bed.

His hand stopped mid way to the water and he took a much better look around him. The air was stiffening inside the room. Why was he in the hospital again? Oh... that's right, he had been shot. Light took a few sips of water and proceeded to brush his fingertips along where the bullet wound was. His lightly touched his shoulder and hissed. It hurt terribly... he hoped someone could give him more pain medicine.

Speaking of which, Light moved to the edge of the bed and tested his feet against the ground. Even the ground felt sticky and warm beneath him. He shuddered... gross.

When Light tried to stand up he cried out and crumbled to the floor. He panted as pain surged through his entire body; wrapping him in it's terrible embrace. He used the machine to his left to help him up. While trying to pull himself up, Light noticed that the machine his IV's were connected was completely off. No wonder he was in so much pain...

Light tried to control his breathing and he tapped his fingers on a few buttons... but nothing happened.

"Hello?" Light called out.

 The silence around him was almost deafening. Where was the staff? Where was his family and his wife? He hadn't expected everyone to be around him but at least  _one_ person would have been nice. 

Light began to hold the wall to keep himself steady as he moved to the door of his hospital room. Along the way he began to rip out the useless IV's in his arm. When he tried opening it, though, the door wouldn't move. Confused and disoriented, Light used all the strength he had in him to push against the door. He heard something metal scrapping against it  on the other side and continued to struggle.

The door began to finally move and when it finally pushed enough for Light to slip through, the first thing he noticed was a God-awful stench that reached his nose. The second thing he noticed was a metal gurney was what had been blocking the doors entry.

The third thing Light had noticed caused him to freeze all together.

The hallway through the medical wing was practically pitch black, safe for a few wires or lights flickering from above. Most of the power had gone out. There was blood on along the corridor and bodies laid on the floor. Light looked around frantically... and he began to finally feel fear settle in. 

There was not a single soul alive. There was nobody here to help him. He had absolutely no idea what was going on. Had the hospital been under attack? Light clenched at his hospital gown, his fist scrunching it in disbelief.

Light moved forward, though he wasn't sure where he was going. He continued to use the wall for support. He stepped around and over bodies, careful not to go near any of them. Most of the people he had seen dead on the floor were nurses and doctors. All of which had gun shot wounds to the head. Light didn't realize it at first... but he was hyperventilating. As he made his way toward the end of the hall, he heard a loud banging that became louder and louder as he reached the end.

Light stopped and examined the door that led the way to another wing of the hospital. Someone had written on the door. 

"Don't open... dead inside," Light murmured quietly to himself. Upon reading it, Light could see hands moving toward him from the door. It was chained shut and nothing or no one could reach pasted the crack in the middle. It caused Light to stumbled back and fall to the ground on his bottom.

A terrible foreshadowing was settling in the pit of Light's stomach and he examined the hands. They were grotesque and gray. They were the same shape of a human hand but were anything but that. The growls that erupted from beyond the door was unlike anything like had ever heard before.

He pulled his weak body off the floor and ran toward and emergency exit.

 When Light had managed to push a door open that led the the outside world, he held a hand to his mouth to keep himself from vomiting. The air was filled with a terrible smell. He hand was also there to keep himself from crying out.

Hundreds upon hundreds of bodies, all wrapped in white sheets, were strewn along the parking lot of the hospital. All neatly lined up and left there. 

 _Holy shit..._ Light thought frantically.  _What the hell is going on? What the fuck is going on?_ The brunette leaned against the railing and stared out in disbelief. He was doing everything in his power to stop himself from throwing up. He couldn't help it though, he turned his head to the side and emptied whatever contents were in his stomach. Which, from what Light could tell, was nothing. When was the last time he had eaten? How long had he been here? 

And why was every single person he had seen so far dead?

* * *

Light stumbled his way through the hospital parking lot, dodging over bodies and moving his way around abandoned cars. His first thought was to get to his apartment... but from where he was currently, that'd take over an hour. Whatever had happened, whatever had taken place here... Light needed to make sure Misa and his family were still alive. He needed to get different clothes on for the hospital gown he was wearing was sticky from sweat and vomit. 

As he made his way through town, a sharp grunt and snarl caught his attention. When he turned toward the source of the sound, he cried out and fell to the floor.

Light couldn't find the words to describe the creature that had grabbed his ankle. It appeared to be a dismembered woman. Though she looked anything but human, a gaping mouth open wide. Skin deteriorated and limbs missing aside from her arms. She tried to pull on Light's ankle but he had managed to snatch it away. He placed a hand near his pounding heart and took a moment to examine the thing.

She growled at him and continued to lift her arms toward him. _What the hell is this thing? It can't be human... theres no way._

Light didn't give her much time before he broke off into a half-hazardous run toward his apartment. His vision was blurred from both fatigue and disbelief.

Every home he had passed he had noticed was in complete disarray. Window's were smashed in and doors broken into. Items laid out on their front yards and car doors wide open with nobody inside. Light had not seen a single sign of life since he had woken up. He was beginning to wonder if he was the only one alive.

The first house he had reached was his parents, which had taken him about twenty minutes from the hospital. His parent's had a quaint home in a quiet neighborhood while he and Misa lived a bit closer toward the city. When Light made his way on the walkway, he could see that his parent's home was left wide open.

"Dad? Mom? Sayu!" He screamed upon walking in. The furniture inside his home was turned over and he could see there was a struggle. The wall unit that held family pictures was broken into and glass was shattered along the floor. "Guys!?" he screamed again. 

Light dashed through the house, searching every room for any sign of his family. He had found none. He only found blood stained walls and his childhood home in complete disaster. He went up toward his old room and searched through his closet, trying to find something different to wear. He found a black short-sleeve shirt and black jeans and threw them on. He threw his hospital gown aside and made his way toward the bathroom.

When he reached to turn on the faucet, no water had come out. So he did his best to get himself together. He found a first aid kit and proceeded to bandage his gun shot wound while disinfecting it. Light began heading back toward his room. His thoughts were scrambled; he felt he couldn't process a single thought of command. His family was gone. The entire world seemed to be gone. He had no idea what to do but keep moving forward.

When Light emerged from the bathroom, he made his way back to his room. He went to his closet against, pushed various things aside and found a small box toward the back of it. He reached in and pulled out his Glock 26 he had kept hidden in there.

Light knew his family wasn't here. There wasn't a damn sign of them. He pushed the gun into the back of his jeans and made his way toward the kitchen. Feeling completely empty at the moment, he searched his parents fridge and pulled out a few water bottles. He emptied to contents of one into his own body. He tilted the bottle toward his lips and downed the entire thing. Next, he found a small sack on the counter and proceeded to pack it with whatever canned goods he could find. Seeing as though there was no power... he had to be safe.

Light left his parents house shortly after that, deeming it a complete lost cause. The only thing Light could do next was go to his apartment and hope his wife was there. If she wasn't... well, Light wasn't sure what to do after that. He had no belongings... so he couldn't call anybody. He hadn't seen a soul in sight. There was no help.

While navigating his way through the neighborhood, Light caught sight of another creature. This one had all of it's limbs in tact and it appeared to more alert. Light had froze... completely and utterly unsure of what to do. It began to advance on him.

This...  _thing,_ this creature sprinted toward the brunette so fast, Light hadn't even had time to pull out his gun from the back of his pants. He fell to the ground and held his hands up as the creature brought itself to the ground by Light. It's arms extended and his mouth was gaping. Light had never seen anything like it. It looked as though it was trying to  _eat him._

Light grunted and tried to push the snarling thing away from him but dammit, it was  _strong._ It's mouth continued to snap and try to bite at him and it took everything in his weak body to fight it. 

A few inches from his face, Light could feel in the pit of his stomach he was going to die. His body was still so weak from weeks of sleep and lack of medicine, he could barely maneuver his gun to shoot the damn thing.

A splatter of blood and a loud bang echoed through the air suddenly, causing Light to freeze momentarily. The creature that had been attacking him had stopped so abruptly; it fell to the ground at Light's feet.

Light scrambled off of the grass and held his gun in front of him, panting while searching for the source of the gunshot. His honey eyes widened when he found a young boy, no older than seven perhaps, standing in front of his with an AR-14 in his hands. Behind him was a woman running, holding a rifle of her own as she cocked it and held it toward Light.

"Are you a walker?" She asked, moving one arm away from her rifle and pushing the young boy behind her. "Answer me!"

Light's mouth ran dry while he continued to hold his gun up. "Walker?"

The woman began to move closer to him, not giving him another chance to ask questions. She kept her rifle on him and studied him carefully. "Why are you out here? What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked viciously.

"I'm... not sure," Light answered honestly. He began to lower his weapon. "I don't  _know!"_

The woman in front of him had dark hair, a little past her shoulders. Her eyes were black as well. She wore tight, but tattered, clothing. Gray and black. The little boy behind her had similar features. Dark hair and equally dark eyes. He wore a pair of blue sweatpants and a Superman shirt. Light had to assume he was her son. 

The house they stood in front of was boarded up with wood planks. A faint candlelight could be seen from the open door.

The said woman dropped her gun to her side. "You don't know?" she asked quietly. "So you're not infected? You're not bitten?"

Light's mind was reeling enough as it was. "Infected? Bitten?" Dammit, he sounded like a record. He had no idea what this woman was talking about.

She made a gesture toward her son, bringing him toward her hip while she nodded her chin toward the house. "Come inside now before it gets dark. I'm not sure what the hell is going on with you, but it's clear you don't know what the hell is going on period."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L appears... soon, I promise. A few more chapters.
> 
> If you haven't seen TWD, don't fret. This will follow a lot of it's story line. Some of it I've come up with myself, but 80% is from the show.
> 
> This chapter is a bit short than I intended it to be but each chapter is kinda planned out. So some of them may be ridiculously long while others are a bit shorter. 
> 
> Also... As I have said, this will not follow TWD 100%. 
> 
> Thank you again for reading. Kudos and comments fuel me. Love and cheers y'all!


	3. Walker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light meets a mysterious woman who gives him information on what's been happening since he's been asleep; Light raids the NPA's weaponry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or the Walking Dead.

When Light had entered this woman's home, he noticed that the windows were boarded up inside. There wasn't much light safe for a few candles that were lit and a lantern. The main area of her home had a small table on the floor. She had a few different weapons on it. Including knives, guns and a shotgun. 

There were various empty cans of food and water bottles on the counter in the kitchen behind the living area. There were clothes strewn all about and packets of batteries. It had looked like this woman and her son kept themselves isolated in the home, for quite a while, in fact.

"What's your name, by the way?" The woman asked. Light was standing in the middle of the home, unsure of what he should do or what to ask. He figured introductions were a good start.

"Light," he answered quietly. "Light Yagami."

The dark haired woman took a seat on the floor by a small table. She reached and began cleaning one of the guns on there. "My name is Naomi Misora," she responded while lifting a gun up to eye level. 

She made a gesture for Light to sit across from her. He moved gingerly, still feeling weak, and sat on the ground across from her. "I'm sorry for pointing a gun at you... I'm sure you noticed, but you can't be too careful."

A bottle of water was pushed across the table toward Light, who took it and nodded gratefully. He uncapped it and took a few large gulps before setting it down.

"What happened to you?" Naomi inquired, placing the gun back on the table. She leaned her elbows forward and cupped her hands together. "You clearly don't know what a Walker is... so I'm curious," she continued. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Light shook his head. "I woke up in the hospital today... I'm not sure how long I've been there. When I woke up, everyone inside the hospital was dead. Everyone outside it, too." He ran a hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath. "My parent's and sister weren't home and it looked like it had been broken into, so I'm not even sure they're alive."

"So... you've been asleep?" She asked.

"You could say that. While we were chasing a suspect and a hostage, we managed to get the car he was driving to stop. After they were killed, though, someone had jumped out of the trunk and shot me in my shoulder," he reached and touched the wound between his shoulder and chest. "Something must have ruptured and I must have fallen into a coma shortly after that. Either that or an infection from lack of treatment."

Naomi raised her eyebrows. "Are you a police officer?"

"Detective," Light corrected as he took another sip of his water.

Naomi leaned back and regarded Light thoughtfully. "Your last name is Yagami? As in the son of the Chief of Police?"

Light coughed a bit and covered his mouth with his hand. "You know my father?"

"I've heard of him. I'm a former agent for the FBI. I had moved here with my husband after we married. I'm originally from Japan and he's from the states. When we found out we were going to have a family, I resigned from the FBI and became a stay at home mother while he continued to work."

As if on cue, Naomi's son rounded the corner and joined Light and Naomi in the living room. He took a seat on the floor with a portable game system and didn't pay much attention to what was happening.

"This is Marcus," she said fondly. She reached and touched his hair a bit. He smiled up at his mother and went back to his game immediately after. "Raye had insisted, it's the name of a favorite family member who had passed."

Light tilted his head. "Your husband? Where is he?"

Dark eyes moved down a bit. "I'm assuming he's dead, he hasn't come home since this had started."

"I'm sorry," he replied sincerely.

Naomi smiled a bit at Light. "It's all right. He could be alive and maybe we'll find him one day. I'm doing what I can to make sure we are safe for right now," she said while her gaze sharpened a bit.

"Those things outside... they started appearing about a month ago. A virus that had originated here is what caused it. Our country was quarantined for a short while but the virus spread so  _fast_." She breathed. "L, along with many other nations leaders, tried to move in on the source. They were trying to stop it."

Light was entranced; could it be that L had originally come to Japan to investigate what was happening? Did he even understand the magnitude of what was actually going on in the world? Greatest Detective or not; this entire situation was clearly out of his control. Was that what he was originally here for? Had this began before anybody else had even known?

"The virus was airborne and it kills on contact, after some time it seemed that the virus dissipated. I'm not sure how you or I didn't contract it. What remains though are these walking, man eating,  _inhuman_ beings that want to eat you. Once someone dies, they seem to come back as a Walker shortly after. I've seen it happen when the virus began it's outbreak. I'm not sure how this was created, or what started it, but's it's an endless cycle," she finalized.

Light was taking all of this in and he wasn't sure how he could possibly wrap his brain around it. He couldn't believe, in the short amount of time that he was asleep, this had all happened.

He couldn't believe he had  _survived._

"What kills them..." Naomi moved forward and made an impression of a gun toward Light's forehead. "Is a gunshot or a wound to the head. Right at their brain," she said. 

Light made a strong mental note of this.

"I'm going into town soon to gather supplies... I usually try to go once a week if I'm able," she explained while taking a sip from her own water bottle. "You're welcome to stay, if that's what you want. I have a feeling you have other pressing issues though."

Light nodded. "I have to find my family... and my wife," he replied. "My family is on this side of the city but I need to get to my apartment to see if she's there. It's about an hours walk from here so I'm going to need some weapons."

Naomi's eyebrows rose. "Do you have an idea where to get any?"

"The weaponry at the station. If it hasn't already been broken into, I can get us in there. I'm going to have to start learning how to kill the walkers if I'm going to be out there on foot. I'm assuming you've done your fair share of that already?"

Naomi smiled a bit. "You'd assume correct."

Light looked over at Marcus quietly. "Do you take your son into town with you, too?"

"Usually. We do have a car and I'm able to siphon gas. I'm quick to run and grab what I need and my son can shoot straight. We manage," she explained. "I can help you get to the police station and show you how to properly protect yourself. I'm sure you've got plenty of experience with combat and weapons but walkers aren't predictable and they are  _stron_ _g."_

Light nodded quietly. "That would be appreciated, Naomi."

The dark haired woman nodded her head and stood up. "We'll go in the morning. It's already getting late and you really don't want to be out there at night," she moved toward the front door and pushed down what appeared to be a wooden latch. "Walkers almost triple in numbers at night and they are sensitive to light. Any loud noise draws their attention and they usually go after it." 

Naomi had set Light up in the living room with a simple pillow and blanket. It was more than he could ask for. He was very grateful to this woman. She didn't know anything about him but allowed him into her home. If it weren't for him stumbling on her yard, he wondered if he'd already be dead. Light had skills in simple hand to hand combat and could shoot well. He hoped that was enough to make it on his own.

Naomi and her son had went into her bedroom to sleep for the evening, leaving Light alone to his thoughts. His mind was racing with questions. He thought of his family and wife. He thought of his fellow detectives and officers. He thought of L and the rest of the world. He wanted to know what had taken place during the weeks he was asleep. A part of him felt like he was never going to know. Did L being here in Japan have anything to do with all of this and if so, what was he truly investigating? Did the murders that had taken place link to anything that was currently happening? 

More damn questions, Light laid against the pillow on the couch and sighed. He placed his arms behind his head and stared up toward the ceiling.

The only thing he could do was press forward.

A noise caught Light's attention and he turned his head to the side and looked at the front door. 

Though it was boarded up, the door handle was free. Light watched as it began to shake a bit, as though someone was trying to turn it. All of the candles had been extinguished when everyone retired for the night. The living room was soaked in darkness except for a shred of moonlight the crept through a space in the boarded window.

Intrigued, Light slowly moved to stand from the couch and made his way toward the door. He looked down at the door handle and watched as it continued to turn and move. Light swallowed heavily and pressed his hands against the door; bracing himself as he looked through the peep hole toward the outside world. His eyes widened and he let out a sharp gasp.

On the other side of the door, a snarling mouth and decaying face was what he saw.

Not just one, but nearly hundreds.

Roaming the streets in the moonlight were these flesh eating _things_ ; all wearing tarnished clothing and moving slowly. They roamed aimlessly while growling at nothing in particular, just wandering the night without purpose. There were so  _many_ of them. 

Light felt sweat roll from his brow as he continued to watch, not believing what he was actually seeing. A part of him wondered if he'd start to wake up and find that this was a dream. That this was some sick  _terrible_ dream that he was trapped in. He'd find himself in the hospital and be greeted by Misa or his mother. Perhaps his father and sister. He'd recover and go about his life and forget about this  _terrible dream._

He wasn't waking up though because here he stood, incredulously looking out toward the world that was consumed by the walking dead. Taking the world and completely washing away the essence of life as Light knew it.

* * *

 During the early hours of morning, Light and Naomi began to prepare. Naomi was outside with her son getting the car ready while Light was inside. He brushed his hair and did what he could without water to clean himself. God, what he wouldn't give for a damn shower. He felt disgusting. Naomi had what looked like cleaning wipes along the bathroom counter and Light did what he could with them. 

Light took an extra few seconds to stare at himself in the mirror. He couldn't remember the last time he actually took a good, hard look at himself.

His skin was clammy and pale. His eyes had circles beneath them. He looked tired; sick even. He all around looked terrible. Given the situation... who could really blame him? Light sighed and made his way out of the bathroom.

Driving through rural area's around the city, Light drank in the sight around them. Structures and roads were severely damaged and cars were abandoned along the roads. There were pieces of clothing and trash strewn about. There was literally no sign of any life. Along the way, they passed several walkers who tried to move in on the car. Light gripped his seat belt instinctively but they were too slow to even touch the vehicle.

Light also began to grip his gun. 

"It's alright," Naomi assured. She took a sudden turn and looked in the rear view mirror at her son. "As long as there isn't a horde of them... we're safe in the car."

Marcus was sitting in the back seat, staring impassively out the window. Light couldn't believe how utterly calm a seven year old was compared to him. His stomach was clenching and tight at the thought of being near any of these things.

They had made it to the NPA's main office without any trouble. They exited the car and kept their guns held up carefully. Naomi pulled Marcus close to her while he held his own gun. Light was still unnerved a seven year old knew how to shoot a gun. If the world was any indication though, he supposed he couldn't blame the mother for showing him.

A single walker was approaching them from their left and Light's gaze watched it sharply. He held his gun and pointed it at him. "You said the head, right?"

Naomi nodded and stepped away a bit. "Yeah, more so at it's brain. Once it's hit there it won't come back," she explained. "Make your shot count."

Light closed one eye and steadied his breathing. He felt so  _strange_ to be standing here, holding his gun at this creature. The walker coming toward him looked male, walking unsteadily on it's feet toward Light. It snapped it's jaw and stared with no expression. It looked mindless.

Light exhaled and fired.

The creatures body seemed to snap in place once the bullet entered into it's forehead, a direct hit toward it's brain. Light saw a bit of blood come out but not too much compared to a living being. It fell to the floor and stayed there.

Light hadn't realized it, but he was panting.

The adrenaline the came with shooting was incredible.

Naomi made a small clapping motion with her hands and smiled. "Good, that's really all there it to it. If you happen to have a knife or machete, you can also kill them that way. Ammo is hard to come by, so making it count it pretty important."

"I could imagine," Light replied quietly. He turned toward Naomi. "I'm not sure what's left inside, but whatever we happen to find... I'll give you half."

Naomi's eyes widened briefly. "Half? You don't have to do that, Light. A few is fine. If you're going out there on your own, I don't think I'll need to explain you'll need it more than I would. Besides, I still have a few weapons at the house." She tilted her head and smiled warmly at him. "As I've said... we'll manage, we always do."

When they entered the building it was somewhat dark inside. No power was working along any of the main buildings. It also smelled like blood. Light truly hoped he wasn't about to find a body of anybody he knew here. He didn't think he could take it. He kept his gun leveled and led Naomi and Marcus behind him. He moved around various desks, including his own, and momentarily he stopped and looked down on it.

All of his belongings were still there. A few documents and scraps of paper. His pens organized on the upper right side. His laptop was left untouched and a few pictures were still there of his wife and family. Light swallowed thickly and continued on.

Light had led them all toward a hallway that connected to a different room. It was locked and Light used his elbow a few times to break the glass on the door. When the glass shattered to the floor, they heard a thud.

Naomi was  _fast_. She pushed Marcus behind her and reached into his pocket. She pulled out a long, sharp knife just as a walker had ran toward her. She moved swiftly and delivered a blow right at the side of it's head. It connected with it's skull with a thump.

Light watched as Naomi withdrew the blade and exhaled quietly. 

"Holy shit," Light breathed. Naomi turned back toward him while bringing her son to her side again. She waved her knife before moving to hand it to Light.

"Keep one of these on you at all times, believe it or not, it comes in handy. The less noise you make the better."

Light took it and nodded in thanks and proceeded to turn his attention back to the door. He reached into the small hole in the glass and turned the knob on the other side. He opened the door and they made their way through.

Morning light began shining through the windows more strongly as it began to ascend and it helped Light and his companions move through the building more quickly. To Light's relief, there didn't seem to be many more walkers within the building. At least not at the moment. They had made it to the weapons room without any other issues.

They walked into the armory and found a vast amount of semi-automatics, glocks and pistols; there was also tear gas, extra ammo and other means of causing bodily injury. Light couldn't be more grateful; nobody had broken into here yet. He was surprised to say the least.

Light moved and grabbed two duffle bags along the wall. He tossed one to Naomi. "Grab whatever you can and put it in there, we should be able to clear out most of these within a few minutes."

Naomi caught the bag and nodded. They moved quickly to pack whatever they could fit into the bags. Although Light didn't feel completely right taking all of these weapons, if it was truly as bad out there as Naomi had said, he needed to have as much ammo and back up as he possibly could. They had spent a good thirty minutes clearing the room until both bags were full. Whether Light indicated it or not, he was planning on Naomi keeping one of those bags. 

When the room was cleared they made their way back to Naomi's car. Along the way, three walkers appeared back in the main office. They began to come in along the entryway that they had entered. 

Naomi turned to Light. "Use your knife," she commanded.

Both of them had their knives in front of them, Light held it in front of his chest with the blade facing outward. Light found himself stepping in front of Marcus subconsciously, making sure he wasn't directing near any of these creatures.

Light's instincts seemed to gear a little harder and he and Naomi moved together, Light was able to swing the blade alongside one of the walkers skulls while Naomi managed to hit two of them in a few simple and swift movements. Both of the walkers fell to the ground and Light, Naomi and Marcus made their way to retreat with the duffle bags over their shoulders.

Light briefly turned back and looked around the police station, amber eyes scanning for any sign of life. He had a feeling that this was going to be one of the very last times he'd see this place.

* * *

 When they arrived back at Naomi's place they regrouped and looked through what they had managed to take. Light was confident that with the 26 weapons and guns they had managed to snag, they'd be okay. The was ammo and magazines in boxes on the side. Although he knew he'd eventually have to find more along the way... Light was optimistic it would be enough to get him on the other side of the city.

Light was packing some of the guns away and looked up and Naomi and Marcus. Both of them were sitting at the table and going through their guns. Marcus was happily sucking down what appeared to be a yogurt pouch next to Naomi. 

"You can come with me," Light said suddenly, causing the dark haired woman to raise her head. Marcus regarded him as well. "I know I can't offer you very much... but I honestly can't stand the thought of leaving you both here."

Naomi smiled and revealed teeth for the first time. "I appreciate the offer... but we're fine. We'll continue to be fine. Eventually we'll pick up and go. Right now though, this is our best bet. I want to see if perhaps waiting this out will help us find Raye. Or find somewhere else to go." She placed a gun down on the table and leaned against it. "Thank you, Light. We'll be okay."

Light swallowed a bit and nodded. "I'm planning on being on the other side of town by nightfall, so I'm going to have to leave now."

Naomi nodded. "You're always welcome back here if need be. We don't plan on leaving for a while. You can take one of the cars in the driveway. They don't really have a lot of gas but it should be enough to get you into the city."

"I'll do that," he replied. Light made his way over to Naomi and she stood up. Light was surprised when she embraced him.

"You be careful," she murmured against him. Light sighed and returned the hug. "I mean it if you need to come back. We'll be here for a while."

"I wish there was a way for me to get a hold of you. You're sure you don't want to come with me?" he asked.

Naomi stepped away and lightly tapped the side of his face; playfully smiling. "I want to be here in case Raye does make it back. It's been a few weeks... he could have had some terrible circumstances like you did."

Light nodded. "I understand," he said while moving over toward Marcus. Light squatted down in front of him and smiled warmly. "It was nice meeting you Marcus, thanks for showing me how to properly shoot a walker." 

Marcus gave Light a shy smile. 

Light reached into the back of his jeans and pulled out the same gun he had had hidden in his closet. It was the first gun he he had ever purchased when he turned 18. It held a very deep sentimental value to him. He held it out toward Marcus. "Keep this safe for me, okay? It's my favorite."

The dark haired boy looked at the gun quizzically before nodding and taking it.

Light stood up and reached for his duffle, placing it on his shoulders. He had packed 15 of the guns they had taken. He was leaving the rest with Naomi. She seemed to notice as he made his way toward the door.

"Light-" she tried to say, but Light turned around and held up a hand.

"You keep them, please. Think of it as a thank you," he explained. He momentarily ran a hand through his hair with a shaky sigh. "If it weren't for you... I'd be dead by now. You gave me valuable information on how to survive. There's probably so many other people out there who didn't have the luck I had." He looked at her and smiled. "So please, keep them. Protect yourselves and just stay safe."

Naomi looked stunned and at a loss for words. She pulled her son close to her and nodded. "Deal," she said.

Light moved toward the door and pushed the latch up. He turned back one more time and offered a small smile before opening the door and stepping outside into the world.

* * *

When Light prepared on of Naomi's cars, he noticed a figure crawling toward him. He turned quickly and saw the pathetic sight of the same creature from when he had escaped the hospital. She pulled herself toward Light and against the ground with her arms; no other limbs to support her. Her empty eyes looked up at him and she snarled at him while reaching for him.

Light felt a terrible sadness at what he was looking at. _This was a person once_ , he thought.  _This was somebody just like me once. Who was she? A nurse? A doctor? A student maybe?_

Light sighed and pulled out his gun. He aimed it toward the walker and stared at her for a few moments longer. _I'd rather be dead then be like this,_ he thought.

He pointed his gun and shot the walker right at the forehead before climbing into the car and reversing out of the driveway.

* * *

 

The air felt amazing.

Driving down the highway in a 99 Mazda Protege, Light maintained a decent speed of 60. He couldn't help but feel not even a month ago, he was driving down this same expressway with Matsuda; chasing down a suspect. The sun was high up in the sky and cars were lined up on the other side of the highway; indicating people were trying to evacuate. To his horror, not a single soul could be seen.

The wind in his hair kept him grounded as he turned off an exit into downtown Tokyo. At the rate he was going he'd definitely arrive at his place within the next twenty minutes. A lot sooner then he originally anticipated. One of his hands was on the wheel while the other held his face. He leaned against the door and stared quietly out. Thoughts whirled and he couldn't keep up with them. He thought of Naomi and her son, feeling sick for leaving them behind. He couldn't very well drag them with him and even if he could, what could he possibly do for them? If Misa wasn't at their apartment or there wasn't any sign of her being alive... what was Light supposed to do then?

He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about wandering a dying world alone. He'd go back to Naomi... that was the only logical thing to do. No matter what he appeared to be, how passive or to himself; he didn't want to be alone.

When Light was turning off the exit, he automatically stopped at a stop sign and laughed to himself. Sheer habit caused him to stop but he couldn't figure out for the life of him why. There was nobody around. He had never felt so utterly alone before.

He made his way through the city, seeing more abandoned cars and clothes. He passed a few walkers but none of them seemed to turn around quick enough to notice the car. Although the car was somewhat quiet, it did make noise with it's engine. Light hoped it wasn't entirely too loud.

Another few turns and Light felt his anticipation climbing new levels.  _Almost there_ , he thought.

Light had taken this route to work and home almost every single day and his hands were steering automatically. He felt relief washing over him at the thought of making it into here without any issues.

The next turn Light had taken halted his thoughts and he slammed on his brakes so hard; he thought his foot was going to break the pedal.

In front of him appeared hundreds of walkers, surrounding what appeared to be a dog. All of them were reaching viciously and trying to rip the animal apart. Many of the walkers had blood coming down the sides of their faces and mouths. Light had never seen anything like it. The brakes had caused a screeching noise to sound in the air. All of the walkers seemed to snap their heads simultaneously toward Light and the car.

Before Light could think of what to do or properly get this brain to catch up to the situation, each of the walkers began running toward the car. Light slammed his hand down and moved the gear into reverse. He pushed his foot down and began to move backwards. As soon he felt the car moving it crashed into something and pushed his body against the steering wheel. He wheezed at the force of the impact and turned around. Behind him was another horde of dead, climbing on the back of the car and trying to reach inside of the vehicle. Light grunted and grabbed the duffle bag laying on the passenger seat and opened the door.

He managed to slip out of the car and he fell to the ground when he did. A few walkers began to move toward him and he grabbed a pistol from the side of his jeans and shot one of them square in the head. He moved his arm just a few more inches and managed to get another shot in. There were too many and he knew if he didn't run for it he was going to be eaten alive.

Light managed to shove the walker off of him and he made a wild dash for safety. He ran toward a few doors to different businesses and tried pushing the doors open. Each of them was locked. He felt his body suddenly being pushed against the door and he thrashed wildly and managed to free himself from the horde that had tried to trap him.

Light was panting while he continued to run for any kind escape. All he could hear was the sounds of growls, snarling and screaming as he continued his way down the street. He felt the duffle bag that was on his shoulder slip off and he screamed an explicit and kept running. There was no way in hell he had enough time to turn back; not with a savage army of flesh eating monsters behind him.

Something caught Light's eye then; an army tank on at the next block. It was parked in the middle of the street. Light sprinted harder and faster then he had ever thought he could. He didn't think he'd ever run so fast in his entire life. His shoes pounded against the concrete with and intense sense of urgency. The brunette managed to jump up onto the ladder and he barely managed to scramble up it. His fingers were slick from sweat and blood as he continued to climb.

Just as a walker had reached to grab his legs, he opened the top of the tank and slipped inside of it. He slammed the lid and fell to the bottom.

Light was breathing sporadically while keeping a hand to his heart. He was gasping and rolling onto his side. He was letting out long 'ah, ah, ah's' while trying to catch his breath. Outside he could hear pounding along the steel containment and he could hear the screaming of the mob outside. His hair began to stick to his face from the lack of fresh air. 

Inside of the tank it was stale and humid. There were panels all lined along the tank and a few lights from inside were actually blinking. Light hadn't even thought this was a functioning piece of equipment. The space inside was cramped and Light instantly felt claustrophobic. He pulled his body along the floor and managed to sit up against the far end of the tank. Next to him appeared to be a dead body; the man was dressed in an army attire and his chin was dipped against his chest. He seemed to have been dead for a while.

Light kept a hand at his chest and continued to pant.  _What the fuck do I do now?_ he thought in panic.  _What can I do? I'm trapped. I can't get out of here._

 Light wiped a frustrated hand down his face and screamed. He slammed his fist against the ground. When Lights fist connected to the ground, he felt something brushing against it and an unearthly smell next to him. He turned his head slowly with wide eyes and caught sight of the infantryman that was lying next to him: he was reaching for him slowly. Light would have thought he was injured if not for the growling erupting for its throat and the empty look in its eyes.

Light screamed again and brought his gun to the side of the man's head and shot it; the man's head snapped and it fell against his chest and stayed there. Blood splattered against the side of Light's face.

"Goddammit! What the hell am I supposed to do now?!" Light cried out; he released an angry sob and slammed his fist to the floor again.

He sat there silently after that, trying to calm himself. Panicking would get him no where and he knew it. What else could he possibly do? He lost all of the guns he had and he was surrounded. He could try to wait it out but eventually he'd have to try to leave. It all just seemed so damn hopeless. He didn't want to die like this. 

A crackling noise caught Light's attention; sudden and piercing through his thoughts.

"-ey" 

Light didn't really know if what he was hearing was real or not. He moved forward within the tank. He crawled closer to where he found lights flashing along the dash of the tank. He leaned in and listened closely.

"Hey you," the voice said through static. Light couldn't believe what he was hearing. He continued to lean in and listen.

"I'm talking to you, Asian. That's right, I'm talking to you."

Light felt his senses sharpen.

"Asian, yeah, you. You cozy in there?"

Cozy? Cozy was the last damn word Light could use to describe what he was feeling inside of an army tank. Light crawled toward the source of the voice and found a radio attached to the panel along the main stripping of the tank.

"Got yourself in a fucked up situation, huh?" The voice taunted.

"-can get you out. But you better listen to every damn thing I say," the voice replied through static breakable links. Light didn't know who the hell this person was or why they were here. If it came down to surviving through this then dammit; he'd listen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think once a week on Wednesdays or Thursday will be my day to update. My days off are Wednesdays and Thursdays, so it gives me time to spit out a chapter and have it posted for you guys.
> 
> "Walkers" are what the zombies are referred to in TWD. As none creative as it may be, I plan on sticking with that. There are plenty of other names to go with. This is inspired by that show, after all.
> 
> I personally love this chapter because it's going to start opening doors to a lot of our main characters. And I love Naomi. I wish I could have seen more of her on the show before she was killed. She is fiery and smart and I love that about her.
> 
> Thank you to all who have left kudos and comments. It really helps to know I'm giving you something to enjoy. I also enjoy writing for other people. It keeps me busy and helps brush back into finding my writing style. As I've said in the first chapter, this is the first story I have written in a long time. I suffered a terrible writers block and just... stopped. 
> 
> On another note, can anyone guess who's talking to Light in the tank? 
> 
> Oh, also, I'm on tumblr! taintedashes.tumblr.com
> 
> Feel free to leaves kudos or drop a line. See y'all next week.


	4. Along the Rooftops of Tokyo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light is saved from the horde of Walkers. He encounters a young man named Mello and together, they escape the city and go back to his campsite. There, Light is met with sheer surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or The Walking Dead.

Light crawled through the tank and grabbed hold of what appeared to be a radio attached to  the front dash lining of the armored vehicle. Shaking hands brought the radio to his lips and he pressed the side of it.

"What do I need to do?" Light inquired roughly. His mouth was dry and his eyes were burning from the lack of air. It was making him feel nauseous and exhausted. He didn't know who this person was or how they even knew he was inside. More than that; how were they able to communicate with the tank to begin with?

The was a pregnant pause before static crackled through their link. "I want you to make a run for it," the man replied.

Light let out a huff; trying his best not to laugh hysterically. Was this man serious? He could have come up with that plan well on his own. If he tried to make a run for it he was most definitely going to get devoured. He was surrounded at all angles. There was no avoiding it.

Light clicked the side of the device. "You're joking right? If I run out there I'm going to get killed."

"-ey, hey. Don't get your panties twisted. When I give you the word, you're going to slip out from the bottom of that tank and make a run for it. A little more than two hundred feet, to be exact. There is a fire escape. You're going to make a run for that."

Light blinked the sweat from his eyes and gritted his teeth. Did he really trust this man? What other choice did he have? No matter what he decided to choose; he felt like either way he was doomed. Still... why would this person be reaching out to him if he hadn't wanted to help him?

 _Don't get naive, he could be using you as bait for all you know._ Light chided to himself quietly.

 Still, the brunette found himself clicking the side of the radio again. "Fine, alright."

Light let the radio fall to the floor and he prepared his gun. He inwardly swore at the thought of the bag of weapons that still were out on the street somewhere. He truly wished he had time to run and grab them. It was either the guns or his life though; he wasn't going to risk it.

Light's thoughts were abruptly cut short when he heard the sound of something hitting the top of the tank and bouncing off of it. He stilled and listened; intently trying to figure out what the source of the noise was. Then; he heard a slight hissing sound before a rather loud bang.

"-o now. Jump out of there right now!"

Light wasted no time. The brunette moved toward the center of the armored vehicle and pushed the latch down on the bottom door. He inhaled sharply and prepared to exit. When he began to crawl down, he noticed that a large number of the walkers that were surrounding the tank were moving away. Why, he couldn't tell. He continued until he was crawling beneath the tank.

When Light saw the moment to run, he did. He pushed himself off the concrete and sprinted away from the tank and into the opening that was provided. When Light turned his head slightly to look back, he noticed something giving off an enormous amount of light. It was a flash bomb; there was no mistaking it. It drew in walkers from all areas. Naomi was right; they were attracted to lights and loud noises.

Light calculated around two hundred feet and noticed the fire escape that the man had mentioned. He continued to race toward it; determined. He heard a few of the undead behind him and turned around quickly. He brought his gun from his side and shot two of them in the forehead.

When Light turned around, he was facing somebody else. Instinctively, he brought his gun up.

Pale hands shot up. "Don't shoot, you fucking moron. I'm not dead!'

Light let his gun fall to his side and he took a brief moment to examine the person in front of him. He was a bit shorter than him and had gold blond hair. It was about the length of his shoulders. His eyes were a hard blue. Light couldn't quite place what nationality he was; it definitely wasn't Japanese. He couldn't have been older than twenty. He had an assault rifle at his side along with a backpack. He wore a black leather jacket and pants; a black undershirt with a cross hanging along his chest.

The blond snatched his arm and yanked him. "Come on! Get your ass up that ladder!"

Light jumped onto the fire escape, pulling himself up. When he glanced down, he noticed the young man was shooting off a few walkers. He handled his gun with precision and skill. 

He followed behind Light, jumping with ease and managing to scramble up the ladder. The eventually ended up along the rooftop of the building connected. Light looked down in disbelief. There were so  _many of them_ down there. Wearing tarnished clothing and decaying; they were aimlessly running toward nothing. Light couldn't believe how close he had been to death.

He glanced over at the other young man and out of breath, he said, "Thank you."

The blond nodded. "Yeah, you're welcome. Don't know what the hell you were doing running around the city to begin with. Those nasty bastards practically migrate here," he replied. 

"I didn't know... I'm still not one hundred percent on what's going on," Light said while he tried to catch his breath. He held his hand out. "I'm Light Yagami."

The blond looked at his hand for a moment before reaching and taking it. "Mello," he said. "What were you doing down there anyway? In broad day light, no less?"

Light let out a bitter breath of laughter. "I was trying to go home... but I guess that's not happening. Not with all of them down there," he said. "What about you? What were you doing out here?"

Mello shrugged his shoulders. "Not that it's any of your business, but I was scouting the area." His tone was gruff; deep. "I have a campsite outside of here with a few survivors. I can take you there," he explained. He glanced at Light. "Just keep up," he finished.

The word  _survivors_ rang through Light's mind. He kept that to himself, however. He stood behind the man known as Mello. He allowed him to lead as he made a running start toward a separate rooftop. Light watched as he jumped across to a separate roof. When he landed, he turned toward Light and arched a brow; putting a hand on his hip.

"I don't have all day. Either keep up or be left behind. If you're going to make it in this world, you better be able to jump when someone says jump, Yagami."

Light instantly felt a tendril of annoyance flood through him. He tried to not take it personally. This person had just saved his ass and he knew better than to try and argue with him. Still not completely sure what was happening with the world... he couldn't turn down anybody who could potentially help him. Mello had mentioned a campsite and that gave Light hope. 

So Light swallowed his pride and his annoyance. He jumped when the blond said jump. Mello, while he didn't immediately appear it, was organized. Light noticed the patterns of rooftops he was jumping along and he could see Mello leading them toward the edge of the city. Light felt sweat trickling down his face from the excursion of jumping. His muscles felt weak. Lack of food and proper care had rendered him weak. He was determined though; determined to find his family and survive.

His shoes barely grazed the edge of another rooftop as he landed alongside Mello. The other man didn't even appear to be out of breath; as if this was something he did on a daily basis. Light paid no mind to it. Out of breath he asked: "Where's your campsite?"

Mello responded: "Not far, just outside of here. But we're not jumping the entire way."

Light tilted his head in question and Mello grinned. "We're driving, Yagami. Come on, live a little. Look at all of the abandoned cars down there." He nodded his chin toward the ground.

Another mental note: Mello was resourceful.

They made their descent toward the ground and found a decent vehicle to drive. It had about a quarter tank of gas which seemed to be just fine with Mello. A 2012 Subaru Legacy was the car of choice. They walked toward the car and noticed a few walkers haphazardly running toward them. Mello and Light moved fluidly; drawing their weapons and opening fire. Their gunshots seemed to echo along the entire block. It sent a chill up Light's spine.

That chill never seemed to leave Light. Even as he and Mello climbed into the car; the blond taking the wheel. It settled with Light up until the engine had started and they prepared to leave Tokyo.

* * *

 "So, whats your story? It's not everyday that I find someone running aimlessly from zombies. I'm curious," Mello asked as he turned the steering wheel. They had managed to escape the city and were driving toward more rural areas of Japan. He was leaning against the door with his fist against his cheek.

Light turned toward the other man. "I woke up from a coma yesterday... I didn't know what had happened. I just woke up and the world was like this. I was trying to get back to my apartment on the other side of the city and well... you know the rest, I suppose."

Mello made a 'hm' sort of noise and they continued on their way.

Light noticed Mello slowing down the vehicle and began to go down a dirt, winding road. They were driving into a wooded area. Although Light wasn't very familiar with this area, he felt a sense of calm out here. They hadn't really seen any walkers since they first began driving. Mello must have deemed this a safe area to be.

There was a small clearing in the area. There were tents set up and an RV along the side of it. Light could see a fire going and the smoke rose into the late afternoon air. He could see a small group of people standing behind the smoke but couldn't quite make our their faces.

Light had come to realize his plans on getting to his apartment were futile. Unless he had this man with him, which he sincerely doubted he'd risk his life for that. His mind went back to the duffle bag that he had dropped during his hasty retreat from the walkers. He mentally cursed himself for being so clumsy. Those were extremely valuable. Maybe not more valuable than his life but still useful nonetheless. He wondered if he should have mentioned them to Mello or not. He figured he would later; now wasn't the time.

Light needed to rest. He needed food and water. He just wanted to catch his damn  _breath._ He hadn't stopped since he had began his venture this morning and he felt more exhausted now then he had ever felt in his life. This was unfamiliar to him. 

Mello pulled them into the clearing of the campsite and Light took a moment to gather himself. They both exited the car. Mello brought a backpack and swung it over his shoulder. He nodded his chin forward. 

"It may not seem like a lot to you but... this has sort of been my sanctuary since this all started. Like you, I was sort of thrown to the wolves in all of this. I wasn't even supposed to be out here, but here I am." Mello explained. "We have people guard the area. So if you need to sleep or eat something, now would be the time. Come on, I'll introduce you. We don't really have a large group here but they're not all that bad."

Light nodded quietly and followed Mello.

When they approached the circle, Light instantly froze when the smoke cleared.

Several faces turned toward them but their eyes were all on the brunette. Time seemed to come to a stand still. Mello was looking between all of them; perplexed as to  _why_ Light was being examined in such a way. Light tried to open his mouth to speak but found words just wouldn't form.

"Holy shit," one of them breathed out.

In front of Light and Mello stood Sayu and Misa. They were leaning in close and conversing to each other. Further to the side of them was Matsuda, Aizawa, Mogi and Ukita. Everything seemed to move again, but slowly, as eyes widened and sharp breaths were inhaled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the lateness of this chapter. Saying I've had a really shitty and crazy week would be an understatement...
> 
> Everyone guessed pretty quickly that it was Mello. It would have made more sense for it to be Matt; but I think Glenn (From TWD) reminded me a bit of Mello. 
> 
> Short chapter, I know. As I've said. These are planned out. 
> 
> I want to thank everyone for the kudos and wonderful comments. I'm getting a pretty positive response to this story and it makes me insanely happy. Thank ya'll so much and I'll see you next week!
> 
> taintedashes.tumblr.com


	5. Reuniting and Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light is reunited with his family and friends, thanks to Mello. They share their stories on how they had managed to survive. Light and his group learn of Mello's true intentions and plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note and The Walking Dead.

"Holy shit," Aizawa breathed. 

 

Before Light stood most of the people he had ever cared about. Mello looked confused; looking back and forth between Light and the others. The air felt thick and time seemed to stop all together. For the first time in his life, Light felt utterly speechless.

 

"Light?" Misa questioned as she moved away from Sayu. Her eyebrows were drawn together. "Is that really you?"

 

_Misa... Sayu. Matsuda. Aizawa. Ukita. Mogi._

 

As Light continued to stare, a figure came around the camper and revealed a tall man.  _Ide._

 

_They're all alive... they're really alive._

 

"Oh my God, Light!" Sayu shrilled. She broke out into a sprint toward him. Misa followed suite. Light opened his arms and grabbed the both of them, dragging both females to him. 

 

"I thought you were all dead..." he whispered and continued to hold them. "Oh God... I don't know what I would've done," he continued. Misa pulled away and put a hand to his face.

 

Light reluctantly broke their contact from his wife and sister, looking at both of them. He offered a small smile before his attention turned. Matsuda was approaching them; he seemed unsure. Everyone around them almost seemed afraid to approach Light; as if he wasn't really there or this was some sort of trickery.

 

"I'm so glad..." he began. "I'm so glad you're alive. Light—"

 

Matsuda was silence when Light walked up to him and embraced him suddenly. It seemed that had broken some of the tension around them all. Before Light knew it, he was surrounded; receiving both pats of the shoulder and half hugs from the rest of his team. Mello stood off to the side and allowed the group a chance to explain and reacquaint. He had no business really intervening.

 

Light had a bit more life in his eyes after discovering the group. What luck he had that Mello had actually known and met these people. He couldn't contain the happiness that was enveloping him at that moment. There was some hope left after all it seemed.

 

* * *

 When night began to descend on them, they all sat around a fire. They each shared food among each other and conversed. Light couldn't have been more grateful for where he was at that moment. Mogi and Ide were currently taking watch along the outside of the camp while the others took their chances to catch up. 

 

"None of us really understood what was happening..." Sayu began while bringing a metal cup to her lips. They all shared cheap, instant coffee. She sat next to Light on one side while Misa was on his other. Aizawa, Ukita and Matsuda sat across from them. Mello was lounged a bit more off to the side. He was still within reach of the flames thought; they reflected off pale skin.

 

"We had been visiting you that day, me and Misa. Matsuda and Dad had just left with Mom. They were all going to meet up at the station before going home. It just..." she drifted off.

 

"About... what, 3 days I think it was? A virus just went rampant in Japan. It spread so fast that we were forced into quarantine. All of us chose to stay at the station, thinking it was the best option." Aizawa continued where Sayu had started. He brushed off his long sleeve blue shirt and some dirt off of his forest green pants.

 

"Mello had gotten to us and was able to lead us all out of the building. If it weren't for him we'd probably have been trapped there and died either way." Matsuda explained while taking a sip of his own drink.

 

Ukita took a bite of what appeared to be canned vegetables. "We were trapped for a few days. Those _things_ appeared so damn fast. We tried getting out of the building once before but.." The shorter man swallowed a bit and a grave look appeared over his face. Everyone's expressions seemed to drop quite a bit.

 

Light looked around; confused. "I don't understand, what happened?"

 

Misa placed a hand on Light's arm and it startled him a bit. "Light... your Mom and Dad—"

 

Light stood up suddenly and Sayu stood up with him. "Listen... please, listen Light. While were trying to get out—I mean we were _surrounded._ We didn't know what we were dealing with. We were literally left alone with no information. Just bit's and pieces from the news."

 

"So... they're both... dead?" he couldn't even form the words. His voice seemed to rise a bit at the last word he had said. His throat felt as though there was a terrible lump in it. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He didn't want to imagine the horrors that had taken place while he was asleep. He was beginning to feel as though that was a blessing in disguise.

 

"They... they weren't eaten, Light." Matsuda had offered quietly.

 

Light turned toward him and his expression was ablaze. "Oh, that's  _helpful_!" he screeched.

 

Everyone seemed to have been standing up and trying their best to help Light remain quiet. Too much noise was the last thing any of them wanted. The area that surrounded them was relatively secure aside from a few wandering walkers. If Light was too loud, someone would be forced to intervene to keep him quiet.

 

Mello watched from the sidelines and he did have a gun ready; he'd knock Light out if it came down to it.

 

"Light, please." Sayu tried. She placed her hands against his shoulders and moved her face in front of his. "Look at me, calm down. I know... trust me, I know okay? But they're gone. Half of world is. We are all  _that's left._ " She had tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Don't be angry at Matsuda for trying to make you feel better... please," she nodded her head a bit toward her chest. "There was no easy way of telling you this. It wasn't easy for me either, okay?"

 

Light stood silently and just stared; his heart hurting. He let out a shaky breath and placed his hands on top of Sayu's. No matter what, this was his sister. He was surrounded by friends and family. They were currently alive. Sayu was being more rational and mature than he was. He couldn't be angry at anybody else around him though. This wasn't anybody elses fault. 

 

He tried to steady himself with more breathing. "I know... I know Sayu, I'm sorry. Okay? I wasn't trying to upset anybody." Light turned toward Matsuda. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that. You were only trying to help."

 

Matsuda offered a shaky smile.

 

"I... need to process this," he said as he removed Sayu's hands from his shoulders and placed them at her side. "I'm going to go and... clear my head." Light's voice sounded distant even to himself. Misa seemed concerned about this. She moved to ask where he was planning to go when Aizawa stepped in and grabbed her arm.

 

She looked at him; suddenly angry. Light was already walking away from them and from the campsite. "What the hell, Aizawa?" she demanded. "He shouldn't be alone after everything he'd just heard. Let me  _go._ "

 

"Let _him_ go, Misa. He's got a lot to think about. For godsake, he just woke up from a coma and found out the world is pretty much over. Give him some space. He's happy to see us, sure. But he's got to take some time to process. He just found out his parents are dead."

 

The words fell a bit tactlessly from the mans mouth. Sayu tried her hardest to ignore the pang in her chest. She may have been strong for Light's sake, but that didn't mean she was completely able to keep it together. She reached for the gun she had by her feet earlier that night and brushed a hand under her eyes. She walked away from the fire and began walking toward the woods.

 

"Where are you going?" Ukita asked quickly. Not really liking the idea of Sayu going anywhere alone, he tried to stop her. "It's dark and you're still not used to shooting a gun," he tried to reason.

 

"I'll be fine," she muttered and disappeared from sight. 

 

Mello whistled, taking a long sip from his cup. It was anybody's guess what he was currently drinking though. "Wasn't expecting all of that to happen. Geez, I feel like I'm on a reality television show."

 

Matsuda glared at Mello. "That's insensitive, given the situation."

 

The blond tilted his head in Matsuda's direction. "I never said I was a 'sensitive' guy," he countered. He leaned forward from the chair he was sitting by the camper. "I'm not trying to insult, trust me. I just didn't realize you'd all know each other when I brought Light out here. Shit happens, it'll pass. Give them both time to breathe."

 

The other man considered Mello's words and shook his head. "I'm going to make sure she's okay," he clarified and took the same path Sayu had not too long before.

 

Ide and Mogi had emerged from a few bushes that surrounded the area and could practically  _feel_ the energy around them change. "Um... something we missed?" Mogi asked. Aizawa, Mello and Ukita all looked at them with deadpanned expressions.

 

* * *

 

Sayu rubbed her eyes furiously and moved without direction through the forest. She didn't really have a particular destination in mind. She knew in her heart that she couldn't continue to endure what was happening at the campsite. He heart felt torn at the seams; just barely holding together. She was so  _damn_ happy her brother was alive. It lit a fire of hope inside of her. Having to tell him about their parents was another story. She felt callous with the way she had told him. 

 

She found a bundle of twigs and wood alongside a large tree and moved to gather it. For weeks, this was the live Sayu had known. Had it not been for Mello finding them in the city, she was sure they'd all be dead if not most of them. She was grateful to the stranger. Even more grateful that he'd been able to find her brother.

 

On that day, they had all attempted a second time to escape NPA's headquarters. While they had managed to get out; they were unaware of what was happening outside and in the city. Running almost without purpose, the group Sayu was with had no where to go. Mello had appeared as almost a godsent; offering them refuge at his small campsite. Though it may not have seemed like much at the time... it was more than the young woman could ask for. The young blond was a bit rough around the edges but he had helped them all one way or another. Not much was known about the man. He hadn't shed any light on where he was from or why he was here. Although he was very open about his opinion and had no problem taking the role as a 'leader', no personal information was shared about him.

 

Memories and unwanted thoughts flooded Sayu as she bent down to retrieve the wood from the ground. Her denim jeans and black tank top were already soiled with dirt and blood. She'd made a note to wash it in the stream tomorrow. 

 

A noise was heard from behind the young woman and she drew her gun. She hadn't had very much training with a fire arm before. She wasn't an officer like he brother and father; she hadn't used a gun up until this had all transpired. She held the gun up shakily and pointed it toward the source of the noise.

 

When she was greeted to the sight of Matsuda, she dropped her gun down with a heavy sigh. "Dammit, Touta!" she hissed in a whisper. "I was  _this_ close to shooting you!" She held her fingers just a mere centimeters apart to get her point across.

 

Matsuda was rubbing his hands together. He was wearing a black shirt and a light gray sweater on top of it. Dark slacks and boots blended with the darkness that surrounded the area. The campfire was out of the sight now and Matsuda held a flashlight.

 

"Sorry..." he said a bit sheepishly. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I know this is a lot for you to take in. I just wish there was something I could do to help. You and Light stormed off so fast I didn't really get a chance to—"

 

Matsuda was cut off by a pair of soft lips. Sayu had moved in front of him and claimed his mouth in a kiss. The man made a noise of startled surprise and Sayu pulled away almost as quickly as she had initiated the kiss. "Stop, please. I'm not looking for sympathy right now. I just needed to clear my head," she explained while placing another kiss against the man.

 

Matsuda pushed Sayu back and briefly looked at her. "Listen... as much as I enjoyed that, this isn't the place. If your brother were to  _ever_ find out, he'd kill me. Oh God, could you imagine? He'd  _kill_ me."

 

Sayu let out a huff; suddenly annoyed. "I am twenty years old and I'm allowed to make my own decisions. My brother isn't my keeper. Besides," she placed her gun on the ground and dropped the bundle of twigs in her arms. She moved to wrap her arms around the other's neck. "He doesn't have to know. Not right now, anyway. So please just stop—"

 

Matsuda pressed his lips to Sayu's in an urgent kiss and practically fell to the ground with her. Sayu moaned and began to remove Matsuda's jacket from his shoulders. He shrugged it off and moved to lift the woman's tank top. He was clumsy and nervous. He and Sayu had come together long before this had all began. They had been careful not to display affection publicly and always took the necessary steps to avoid discovery. 

 

Sayu had always thought Matsuda was a good man. He was sincere and sweet. Although he was  _much_ older than her, why should that have mattered? He treated her well and she enjoyed his company. He made her laugh and was just so damn  _nice._ She could see he cared about her and was sincere in all of his gestures.

 

"We really shouldn't be doing this," Matsuda breathed against her lips. His hands ran up and down her arms and he moved behind her to rest his hands against her back; making sure her skin wasn't being scratched against the ground. Sayu just shook her head and grabbed the back of his; demanding silence with her lips.

 

* * *

Mello's head rose at the sound of branches rustling and watched as Sayu and Matsuda exited the forest. An eyebrow arched when he noticed their appearances. Sayu's hair was in disarray and her tank top was scrunched up. Matsuda's lips were swollen and his jacket was loosely around his shoulders.

 

They both had fire wood in their arms and dropped it next to the fire. Sayu took her place back at the other side of the campfire and Matsuda was across and away from her. Misa was no where to be seen which probably meant she went after Light. The girl just didn't understand what  _give somebody space_ meant.

 

Mello wasn't the only one to notice. Aizawa and Ide had sharp eyes on the pair as they took their seats. Ukita and Mogi made it obvious and pointedly ignored them, not really sure what to say that didn't sound completely and utterly awkward.

 

Mello was quick the break the ice though. "Word of advice, try not to look so obvious. You both look like you just wrestled an animal in there," he stated while leaning forward and placing his elbows against his knees. "Or each other. Whichever. Not that it's any of my buisness or anything..."

 

Aizawa shot Matsuda a glare. "You've _got to be kidding me!_ Does Light even know that the two of you are...?"

 

Sayu cleared her throat. "No he doesn't and I plan to keep it _that_ way." 

 

A few more harsh and whispered words were exchanged before footsteps were heard from behind the camper. Sayu leaned forward and glared menacingly at the gentlemen across from her. "Not a  _word."_

 

Light had come around the camper with Misa on his arm. His expression was a bit detatched but he didn't seem to know what was happening when he entered into the campsite. Mello cleared his throat and stood up. "I'll be back," he stated and went to go inside of the RV. Light and Misa took their seats and stared at everyone around them. There seemed to be a bit of tension in the air but Light didn't feel like he wanted to address it.

 

Sayu was smoothing out her hair and looked and Light. "You okay?" she asked.

 

Light nodded and offered a smile. "Fine. Just... needed a few minutes. I'm sorry for how I acted earlier, I wasn't trying to lash out at anybody." He took his drink from the floor and took a few sips of it. He moved Misa's hand away from his arm. "I'm fine, really."

 

Misa seemed to pout a bit at that but removed herself from Light. All of their heads turned in unison when Mello stepped back out of the camper and held up a clear bottle with brown liquid inside.

 

"You guys are just so damn depressing, seriously. You all just found out your alive. You should be  _celebrating._ " He took an open spot in front of the fire. It reflected off of his face and made his hair look almost red. "Give me your cups," he ordered.

 

Light arched a brow. "You're trying to get us drunk? Really?" he said. He found himself handing his cup over though. "Do you really think now's the time?"

 

Mello collected everyone's cups. "When's the right time, Yagami? The world will still be shit whether you're drunk or sober. I can practically taste the tension around here," he said while pouring some liquor into Light's cup. He then took Misa's and Sayu's and did the same. "Let's loosen up a bit. There's enough of us here if something happens."

 

Light smelled the liquid and made a face. "This smells horrible," he stated.

 

"The worse it smells, the better."

 

Everyone took a few experimental sips from their cups before drinking in earnest. After about thirty minutes, Light felt the tension fading and also felt a bit light headed. He couldn't remember the last time he drank any sort of alcohol. He was usually careful and too composed to get drunk. The exception was work related parties or family gatherings. Even then, he didn't partake in earnest.

 

Soon everybody's moods seem to lift and they shared stories. Some on how their had met to Light's first day at the academy. Mello was right, they  _should_ be celebrating. The death of his parents and other's close to him weighed heavy on Light's mind... but his wife and sister were alive. His friends and fellow detectives made it out alive. A question lingered on where Aizawa's family were... but given the earlier news he had endured; he assumed the worst.

 

He would let Aizawa speak for himself... or perhaps they were somewhere safe.

 

Light, feeling quite tipsy, leaned forward and said: "Thank you again. I really don't know what else to say. We all owe you our lives." Mello regarded Light, taking a long sip from his cup. "We'll do what we can to contribute."

 

Mello chuckled after his sip. "Don't mention it," he replied. "And you can all stay here forever for all I care. I won't be here much longer anyway."

 

Light pulled back and stared at Mello. Everybody seemed to still at the admission. "What do you mean?"

 

Mello seemed to be deep in thought, as if he hadn't really meant to say anything. He then sighed and placed his cup on the ground. "I mentioned to you that I wasn't supposed to be out here. I sort of... got separated from another group I was with. I was trying to hold out here and see if anything were to change. Obviously, that didn't happen.

 

"I wasn't lying when I said I was scouting the area. I was trying to get back to a place where I was originally staying inside the city. I don't think I need to mention what stopped me..." He looked around at everybody then, as if the answer was obvious.

 

 _Us._ Light thought to himself.  _He wasn't able to get to where he was going because of us. Because he saved us._

 

"I couldn't just leave you guys out there to die, no matter how much I needed to find my way back. In the morning though, I'll be heading out. You've got supplies here and enough food to get you by until you can properly go out and get more," he reached for his drink again and sipped it."You'll all be fine," he finished.

 

Light grabbed his arm suddenly and Mello looked up with wide eyes. "Is the place you're going safe?"

 

Mello looked confused but nodded. "I mean, yeah. It's a secure building—" He understood why Light was asking. "No. Nope, no way. I can't bring all of you there. I'm not the one who runs the show here. I don't have authorization to let you guys run around in there."

 

_Authorization?_

 

Aizawa seemed very interested all of a sudden. "So what you're saying is you have a safe place to go but won't allow us there? Really? I know we're not the best group to be around but we can get you there. All of us can work together to stay safe."

 

Mello shook his head and turned his attention to the man. "Listen, it's not my  _call._ I got you guys here. My conscious is clear."

 

"Who's call is it then?" Light demanded. His eyes were narrowed and Misa tried to coax him to calm down. Nothing seemed to work and Light's voice was rising. "Who? I'll talk to them myself. Take us there and I'll talk to them!"

 

Mello made a sound inside of his throat, as if he didn't know what to say. His blue eyes narrowed and he pointedly didn't say anything else. This wasn't the type of man that was left speechless.

 

_He's hiding something._

 

Matsuda was about to intervene when a noise from the side of the campsite halted any more words from flowing. All of their heads turned and watched as a walker made it's way out of the forest and directly toward Ukita from behind. The shorter male didn't have time to react before it's mouth moved toward his neck and snapped at the skin there; successfully piercing through and causing blood to flow.

 

Ukita didn't even have time to scream. When he opened his mouth, a surprised gurgle was all that he was able to get out. The walker currently attached to his neck was biting and gnawing at it without abandon. The life inside of the man's eyes was slowly going out.

 

Misa screamed and everyone around them stood up and took action. Light reached for his gun and tried to steady his shaking arm to take the shot. Matsuda and Aizawa moved to grab the decaying creature away from Ukita. Light pushed Misa behind him and looked over at Sayu and her.

 

"Both of you get inside the camper! Now!" he ordered and moved his attention toward the group. Ide was moving to point his gun toward the walker that had bitten Ukita and then from the corner of his eye saw something else wandering it's way into the campsite.

 

Walkers. More of them began to pour into the lit up area. Mello grabbed his assault rifle and began to take fire. Sayu and Misa retreated into the RV without question and soon their guns all began to fire in unison. Aizawa was able to push a few of them onto the ground and fired unsuccessful shots; missing their head's each time. It was clear to Light that they hadn't killed any walkers before.

 

"Their foreheads! Aim for their foreheads, Aizawa!" he shouted while dodging out of the way of a snapping mouth. Light was able to move his gun in time before he was bitten and soon he fired right in between the creatures eyes; blood splattered and it dropped to the ground. Mogi aimed his gun in Light's direction and before Light could realize a walker was behind him, Mogi fired and successfully took out the one approaching him.

 

Time seemed to stretch on as they cleared the camp. Although it wasn't a large group of walkers that appeared, they knew more would be coming if they continued to stay there. Too much noise had been heard and soon it would draw attention toward the area. Once they had successfully cleared out the dead, their attention all turned toward Ukita.

 

He was dying. There was no denying it. Light remembered Naomi's words. Once you're bitten, you're as good as dead. You'll come back as a walker. He couldn't bare the thought of Ukita walking around; dead and without purpose like these creatures. Mogi cradled the man in his large arms and tried to soothe him. Everybody stood around him. Misa was wiping her eyes furiously and Sayu turned her head away.

 

"Still think we're all safe here?" Light bit out as he raised his gun and walked over toward Mogi and Ukita. He turned and looked at Mello briefly. "Still think we can get by here?"

 

Mello didn't say anything in reply. He looked down at the dying man in Mogi's arms and a deep frown was on his lips. He could understand Light's frustrations. Hell,  _he_ was not anticipating an attack here tonight. He had been here for weeks and aside from a few stragglers, Mello hadn't felt any threat here.

 

Ukita wasn't struggling or moving anymore. It was clear the man had passed. Whether it was from the loss of blood or the bite itself, Mello couldn't say. He had seen a lot of death in his time in this world but he hadn't really ever seen someone die in such a horrific way. His stomach churned and he felt sick.

 

Several moments passed and the group stood in stunned silence. Taking a moment to remember the life of the man who had just passed they stayed that way for quite a while.

 

Until Ukita's eyes opened, slowly, but they were open nonetheless. They looked up at Mogi but there was something off about his gaze; something different. It was vacant, empty compared to the life that held in there not more than thirty minutes before.

 

Thoughts were interrupted when a gunshot sounded; it rang through the air and pierced the silence. 

 

"Light, what the  _fuck_ —" Aizawa screamed.

 

Mello felt his mouth open a bit; stunned. Over Ukita's body, Light stood with a gun pointing at his forehead. He moved it away and there was a clear gunshot wound in the center. The man's eyes were closed and he looked peaceful. 

 

Ukita was gone.

 

Everyone's eyes were on Light, clearly angry and confused. Matsuda had a hand over his mouth and his eyes were wide. Tears were forming behind them. "Why... why the  _hell_ did you do that, Light?"

 

Light ran an angry hand through his hair. "You think I wanted to?!" he barked. "Once you die you come back as one of  _those!_ " He pointed a finger toward one of the walkers on the ground. "You thought he was just coming back to life?"

 

"How is that possible?" Sayu asked in disbelief. "I don't understand... why did you shoot him then?"

 

"If you get a solid shot or wound of any kind to their brain... they remain dead and do not come back," he explained quietly. There was a small tremor in his voice. He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. He was barely keeping himself together. "I can't allow that... I wouldn't allow it for any of you," he clarified.

 

When the sun began to rise, they all moved to an open clearing of a field and buried Ukita's body. The most they could really do for him was bury him properly. Light couldn't bare the thought of him being eaten even after death. His body deserved to remain in tact. He used a shovel that was inside of the RV and patted the soil down tight. Light raised an arm and wiped it across his eyes. Tear stains were evident on tanned skin.

 

Mello approached Light when he saw he was alone. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "Take it any way you want... but I mean it."

 

Light looked up at Mello from where he was patting down dirt for a moment before proceeding to finish up.

 

"I'll bring you guys," Mello said suddenly.

 

Light's shovel stopped in mid-pat and he stared at Mello with wide eyes. "You will?"

 

"Yeah... yeah, I will. But listen, I can't make promises you'll all be living happily ever after there. But I'll at least talk with my... associate and see if we can get you on your feet. This isn't a guarantee, Yagami. After this, I'm all out of favors."

 

Light nodded and stood up straight, he dusted himself off and honey eyes were shining with gratitude. He was seriously considering hugging the other man but Mello didn't seem like the 'hugging' type.

 

"Thank you..." was all Light mustered to say. Mello nodded briefly and turned to return to the RV. Light was so  _damn_ happy Mello had changed his mind. After everything that had transpired last night, it proved the man had a heart. Well... a conscious, anyway. Light wasn't sure if he'd be able to convince this unknown source that Mello was speaking of to allow them to stay. But if it was at least possible for them to work something out until Light could come up with a plan...

 

Light felt hope ignite in him. It was  _something._ He turned his head and regarded the pile of dirt on the ground.  _Ukita... I'm so sorry._ His chest felt unbearably tight and his heart was so heavy. He had watched a man die last night. He had watched a man he had known for  _years_ die last night. A life was snuffed out. Gone; lost.

 

Light turned away and let out a heavy sigh.

 

He began to make his way back to the campsite and saw that Mello and the rest of the group was gathering what they could and getting it into the camper. They were going to be leaving and heading back into Tokyo. Light felt both anticipation and dread at the thought of going back there. If there was a safe haven though, Light didn't care what they had to face to get it.

 

It was all about surviving now and last night proved that to be an irrefutable fact. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah sigh, Ukita. Soichiro. Sachiko.
> 
> Character Death is like... the first warning I put on here. So don't say I didn't properly warn you. This story is about zombies after all. 
> 
> So... I had a lot of mixed feelings writing this chapter. It introduced a lot I think. And I think Sayu is a seriously underrated character. Even in the anime I thought so. She has so much potential. I wish they showed us more of her. Not just bits and pieces.
> 
> So... feel free to leave kudos and comments. I really enjoy communicating with you guys. Your feedback has been great! Thanks so much!
> 
> Be prepared, L comes into play along with our favorite boys next chapter. Until next week, cheers!
> 
> taintedashes.tumblr.com


	6. Within City Limits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mello and Light lead the survivors back into the city. There, they retrieve Light's lost weapons and enter into a secure building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or The Walking Dead.

They were off.

 

Driving down the abandoned back roads of Tokyo, Mello steered the RV back toward the city. The blond looked back through the rear-view mirror and caught sight of the group of survivors. Aizawa was staring blankly out of the window, sitting at the kitchen table that connected with the wall. Ide sat across from him with an equally blank expression. Matsuda sat next to Misa and Sayu, keeping a safe distance between them, of course. They were on the couch that connected on the opposite wall of the RV. Light was sitting up front next to Mello; he was watching through the window and taking in his surroundings. Ever since Mello and Light had spoken in the field, the man was to himself. 

 

They all gathered their things quickly and devised a plan to get them into the city more safely. They were much better in numbers this time around and Mello hoped more prepared as well. Everyone seemed to have their own sense in defending themselves. Light, Matsuda, Aizawa, Mogi and Ide were detectives and with that they knew how to fight. That was an added bonus. Sayu and Misa, given the right teaching, could learn to shoot straight and simple hand to hand combat.

 

Mello bit the inside of his cheek and continued to drive.

 

The blond wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen when they arrived to where they were going. He was careful to give as little information as possible about where exactly they were headed. After what had happened last night at their camp; he couldn't very well leave them all to die. He could at least say he tried to keep them alive, even if they all ended up being turned away.

 

After all, he wasn't in charge.

 

Light leaned forward in his seat a bit as they entered the freeway toward downtown Tokyo. Lines of abandoned vehicles lined the highways as well as trash and articles of clothing. The silence inside the RV was almost deafening. Light's hand was placed against the holster that held one of his weapons. He hadn't mentioned to Mello the bag that was dropped around the area he was trapped in. If there was a way to get it back... it would give them a bit of an advantage.

 

Light glanced quietly through the corner of his eye at Mello.

 

The young man was skilled in a lot of area of combat and firearms; that was certain. He couldn't very well guess what his occupation was and he didn't dare to ask. But Light could practically sense the secrecy. Whatever Mello was hiding, he just hoped it wouldn't put any of them in danger. Either way, Light silently contemplated whether or not the weapons were worth anybody risking their lives or not.

 

"I can practically  _hear_ you thinking. Spill it, Yagami. What's on your mind?" Mello asked quietly while steering them off of the freeway and into the city. Once they entered, it was just as eerily quiet as it was when Light had first driven in himself. The brunette felt a terrible stirring in his stomach at the thought of being ambushed again.

 

Light regarded Mello in turn. "When I was here last... before you found me, I had dropped a bag with about 13 different firearms. There was a wide variety of them that I had managed to gather at NPA headquarters. If it's still there..."

"Do you remember exactly where?" Mello inquired.

 

Light thought through the haze or his past thoughts and nodded. "I'm almost certain, yeah."

 

Mello nodded and turned his head a bit toward the other passengers. "We're taking a quick pit-stop, guys. Guns are guns, after all. Ammo is hard to come by."

 

Aizawa leaned forward against the table. "There's been two times now that we've almost been overcome by a mob of walkers... I think it's pretty damn risky just for a few guns."

 

"Yeah... but we're already running low on the ammo we have now. And wherever we're going, I doubt we are guaranteed any other chance to get more." Matsuda added quietly.

 

Light nodded in agreement. "If Mello can drive me next to the bag, I can reach out and grab it. If there isn't a large amount of walkers nearby... I don't see why we can't retrieve it and drive off. We're in a large vehicle. We'll be okay, Aizawa. We need those guns," he reasoned.

 

After a few more quiet exchanges and murmurs, the group agreed that retrieving the weapons was a necessary action. Light instructed Mello where to go, although he probably didn't have to, for the young man seemed to know exactly where he was going. When the RV approached the area, it was clear aside from a few stragglers. And to Light's relief, the duffle bag was still lying on the ground. Nobody had come across it luckily.

 

With caution, Mello had pulled up next to the bag. Light looked around a few more times before standing up and moving toward the center door. He leaned out carefully and without any issues was able to retrieve the bag. Light inwardly breathed in utter relief; something had actually worked out. 

 

After that task, Mello nodded his head as he began driving again. And once Mello began driving again, a large popping sound echoed around the group and the RV jerked suddenly. Misa and Sayu let out surprised screams and everybody inside was forced forward, despite where they were sitting. Light and Mello both had their belts on, but regardless, they jerked along with the camper.

 

A tire had blown suddenly and the noise was sure to attract walkers fast. 

 

"Grab your shit  _right now_ and make a run for it! We've only got a little further!" Mello barked out while reaching along his side and pulling out his weapon. He and Light moved and began ushering everybody out of the side door. "Don't slow down!"

 

Light exited first alongside Mello and Matsuda. The brunette moved both Sayu and Misa in the middle of the group while Aizawa, Ide and Mogi took the rear. Each had their own weapons drawn and they began to make a mad dash through the city. Everywhere Light turned, in every direction, walkers were beginning to move their way. Both the noise of the tire popping and their movements were drawing them from all directions. Light tossed the duffle bag onto his shoulder and followed suite of Mello.

 

"See that building ahead?" Mello asked breathlessly. Every single one of them turned their attention toward the blondes gaze. There, among the skyscrapers and tall structures of Tokyo, stood a tower that seemed to stand out among all of the other ones. It was a dark gray building that looked as if it had just been built. It was beautiful as it reflected sunlight from the rising sun. "Don't stop until you get there!"

 

That was all it took. Light and Matsuda opened fire on several walkers and continued to guard the front of the group as they made haste. If they didn't move fast enough, they were all going to die out here. Their salvation lied straight ahead of them and Light wasn't going to die this way. Gunshots could be heard from behind them and could only pray that the men could hold their own back there. Boots and shoes pounding against the concrete as the building began to fill their visions all the more.

 

Mello used a knife and took a few of the dead down with him. He was running ahead of all of them and his breath was erratic with anticipation and adrenaline. The main doors were becoming more and more clear and Mello practically ran into the building while his hands shakily reached toward a blinking button. He pressed his fingers against it as Light stopped behind him.

 

"Somebody open the  _damn_ door!" Mello said into what appeared to be an intercom. 

 

There was a terrible silence that only lasted so long before a hoard of walkers were beginning to close in on the group. Within the next few moments, they were going to die if those doors didn't open. Mello shook his head and his blue eyes were wide. "Hey! Dammit, somebody open the fucking doors! I'm about to get eaten to  _fuck_ alive out here!"

 

"What the hell is going on?" Light demanded. He reached passed Mello and pressed his own finger against the button. "Please open the door! If anybody is there  _please_ just let us in!"

 

Light's pleas were being swallowed by the sound of growls and snarls erupting all around them. Soon, everybody seemed to panic and began to pound on the doors. It seemed they were all begging in vain because those doors just didn't open for them. Mello's safe haven turned out to be nothing more than a false sense of security and now it was time for Light to figure his way out of this without losing anybody else.

 

Light stopped pounding his fists and held his pistol up. "If we run now, we can find safety elsewhere!" he said to Mello.

 

Mello wasn't listening though. He was still pressing his fingers against the intercom and pounding on the steel doors.

 

Aizawa reached and tugged Mello's shoulder and wide blue eyes stared back. "We have to get out of here now or we're going to die, dammit!" he tried to tell the blonde. "It's no use!"

 

"I'm not going anywhere until those doors open. Go if you want but I can't walk away from here!" Mello shouted back and turned away from the man.

 

Soon, the group was becoming more and more pressed toward the building. Mello wasn't being reasonable and there was no time to leave him behind. Light ran a shaking hand through his hair and tried his hardest to figure a way out of this. No matter how brilliant or smart; there was just nothing his brain could form. Their faith and hope had led them to a dead end and they were all going to die; just like that.

 

Just as Light was about to raise his gun and try to shoot their way out, a beeping noise quietly sounded and there was a loud hiss. In utter disbelief, Light looked up and saw the doors beginning to open. He let out a huff and stared incredulously at the parting doors. Everyone seemed unable to move and time slowed a bit. Everyone's thoughts were broken however when Mello exclaimed to them: "Go!"

 

The all scrambled through the doors just as walkers began to close in on them. Mogi and Ide used their knives to warn off a few of the snarling dead before the door slid shut behind them. One of the creatures outside was crushed through the door and it had stopped struggling and moving. Inside, it was dark. The only sound that could be heard was the harsh panting of each person. For quite a few agonizing moments, everyone of them could see their lives flash before their eyes. Light was almost certain they were going to die.

 

"Holy shit," Mello breathed. His hand was against his chest while blonde hair was clinging to his face. His panting turned into softer breathing and he looked around. "Come on, we're headed up."

 

"Where exactly are we?" Sayu asked when she caught her breath. The building almost looked deserted. There wasn't a single sign of life inside. The only thing that could be heard was the pounding and screaming from the dead outside. It sent shivers up Light's spine.

 

"Think of it as headquarters," Mello explained. He led everybody toward elevator doors. He reached inside of his pocket and retrieved a keycard of sorts. He placed it against the panel alongside the up and down buttons and soon the elevator doors slid open. "I work alongside a few other people here."

 

 _Headquarters for what, exactly?_ Light thought to himself as they gathered inside of the elevator. The brunette watched as Mello entered a few keys against the pad inside and soon they began to ascend. Light could feel a stirring inside of his stomach although he couldn't quite place what it was. 

 

"And it's safe here?" Matsuda asked, his hands restless and moving from wringing his hands together to lightly touching his gun. 

 

Mello stared ahead at the doors as he answered. "It's still standing and operating, isn't it?" He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath as the elevator stopped and the doors began to open slowly. When the doors opened, a much different room than what was originally appeared downstairs appeared before them. The room was lit dimly by computer screens that littered the walls. Underneath these computer monitors were large desktop and wireless keypads that were unlike anything Light had ever seen. The room didn't have much furniture, safe for a few glass tables and one long glass table within the center of the room. The floor was pure black granite. 

 

Mello exited the elevator first and everyone, including Light, seemed apprehensive about moving further. 

 

Sitting in front of the monitors was a shorter young man with short, curly white hair. When he turned toward the elevators, Light could see a cold and calculating gaze staring at him and the rest of the survivors. Next to him sat another young man, although a little older, with auburn hair and blue eyes. He held a cigarette between his lips and stared at them with wide eyes. Light's eyes continued to travel slowly and was met with a much older gentleman standing quietly off to the side. He couldn't have been younger than sixty-five from what Light could see. His eyes were crinkled and he wore glasses. His hair was a gray and well cut. He wore a suit as well, which was strange to Light.

 

The last person Light's eyes fell upon caused his eyebrows to raise and his head to tilt. A young man, who was currently crouched in front of a separate set of monitors, turned his head slowly and glanced back at them all. His hair was onyx and his eyes stared intensely through Light. They were just as deep and dark as his hair. The man slowly slid off of his chair and stood up. When he did, he stood with a slight hunch to his back. His eyes held deep and dark circles beneath them.

 

In Light's opinion, it was the most piercing gaze he had ever seen. And when he spoke, his voice was deep and almost as intense as the rest of him.

 

"I'm not quite sure who all of you are or  _why_ you're inside of this building to begin with," he began as his eyes drifted from person to person. "But allow me to introduce myself, I am Ryuzaki."

 

 

 

 


	7. Hello and Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or The Walking Dead.

_"I'm not quite sure who all of you are or why you're inside of this building to begin with," he began as his eyes drifted from person to person. "But allow me to introduce myself, I am Ryuzaki."_

 

Mello was the first to step forward, entering the room in a less than confident stride. "What the hell, Ryuzaki? You almost left us out there to fucking die—" he began bitterly.

 

"I do not recall saying anybody was allowed inside of this building, Mello. There was an obvious reason for my delay." Ryuzaki had stated in somewhat of a bored drawl.

 

Light couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was this man serious? 

 

"We're not here to cause any sort of trouble," Light tried to explain. As he spoke, dark eyes turned toward him sharply. Everyone around them was silent. Light felt extremely uneasy; as if being here was taboo. "Mello had found me out in the city and reunited me with my family and friends. We were attacked at our campsite and—"

 

"I do not recall asking you to explain yourself," Ryuzaki interrupted Light quickly. "I was addressing Mello."

 

Mello swallowed a bit. "I... I couldn't leave them out there to  _die._ Do you see what is happening out there? I was practically trapped out there for  _weeks_ and none of you thought to come out there to look for me! When I come back, alive and in one piece,  _this_ is what I get?" His voice was rising more and more as he spoke. 

 

Ryuzaki, for the moment, was silent. He stood there in his washed denim jeans and long sleeve white shirt. He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned his face away briefly. For a moment, Light was sure he was left speechless. But as another moment passed, Ryuzaki scratched the back of his head and looked behind him toward the elderly man standing in the corner of the room. He nodded briefly and stepped forward and more into the light.

 

"Watari will show you all the upstairs living quarters," Ryuzaki explained while his eyes were on Mello. "I need to speak with Mello _."_

 

Light, or anybody else, had another moment to get a word in before the man known as 'Watari' began to usher them all out of the room. "Right this way, please." He said as he led them all toward the elevator once again. Once inside, the last thing Light saw was Mello placing a hand on his hip and everyone else inside of the room begin to stand up from their seats.

* * *

 "—cannot  _believe_ you almost left me out there—"

 

"What you did was  _reckless_ , Mello. You're bringing outsiders inside of Headquarters. Do you have idea how  _dangerous_ this is?"

 

"Dangerous  _how?_ In case you haven't noticed; the worlds gone to complete shit. You haven't been out there yet. None of you have. It's a lot worse than what those monitors are showing you!"

 

"Mells... you've  _got_ to calm down—"

 

"No way, Matt! This fucker almost let me die!"

 

"To be fair, Ryuzaki is correct. You've endangered this entire investigation and our lives by allowing—"

 

"Oh, shut the  _actual_ fuck up, Near!"

 

There was a terrible silence that followed Mello's screams. It all echoed within the room. Everyone stood in the center of the room and unsure of what else to say. Matt walked over toward Mello and placed an arm near his elbow. "Come on, you've got the get cleaned up and calm down."

 

Mello snarled and withdrew his arm away from Matt. "I'm not finished with you yet,  _L!_ "

 

The dark haired man practically _flew_ across the room; dark eyes narrowed and his breath barely above a whisper. "Do  _not_ address me by that name. Especially with the group of guests you decided to bring here. Do not make me repeat myself. Whether or not the world is currently in the state you say it's in,  _I_ am still leading this investigation and this team. My identity;  _our_ identity must remain anonymous," he finalized.

 

Mello felt Matt's hands on him again and tried once more to lead him away. Mello snarled and turned on his heels, shrugging Matt's hands off of him and exiting the room. His face was contorted in silent rage as his boots made noise through out the empty halls. Matt followed behind him silently and allowed Mello some space. The blonde exhaled a few times through his nose and tried his best to steady himself. L, or rather, Ryuzaki may have had some valid reasons in his logic to contemplate letting strangers inside of headquarters. There was just no way that he hadn't seen what was happening outside of the building. He couldn't leave Light and his friends and family to die. Mello may have been cruel in some aspects; but he wasn't  _that_ cruel.

 

"Hey," a voice interrupted his thoughts. A hand followed on Mello's shoulder and spun him around. "Look at me."

 

Mello met Matt's eyes. "I'm sorry," he replied. "For almost losing my shit," he added. 

 

Matt chuckled and his hands moved and placed themselves on either side of Mello's face. "I don't care about any of that," he said as he leaned and placed his lips softly against the other male. "You have no idea how fucking happy I am that you're alive. I really—I mean I thought that you..." Matt's voice cracked and blue eyes were averting to avoid his gaze.

 

Mello silenced Matt with another kiss. He pushed Matt against the wall within the corridor and claimed his mouth in a momentary brutal kiss. Mello brought his hands up and carded them through Matt's hair; knocking his goggles onto the floor. The noise had the two part their lips and left them breathing erratically.

 

"I wasn't going to give up and die out there," Mello said and kissed Matt's face. "I wasn't stopping until I got back to you. Fuck the investigation; I came back for  _you._ "

 

Matt nodded a bit breathlessly and both men stepped away from each other. "Don't be too mad at L... I don't think he's understanding the magnitude of the situation right now. We're going based on monitoring and it's not nearly anything compared to what you must have seen," He started while leaning down to pick his goggles up from the floor. "Before we knew it, agencies all around the world began dropping off the grid. One country at a time. We were knocked out of almost every network and before we knew it the entire city went into complete lock down. It just... it happened so  _fast,_ Mells."

 

"Does the case even relate to anything going on at this point? Is there a reason to continue? I'm not sure if L realizes it or not, but the first thing we need to worry about is  _staying alive._ "

 

"There's a chance it's connected... but because we're locked out of any government networks, we can't estimate the damage this is really causing." Matt replied, running a hand through his hair. "How... how bad is it out there?" he questioned in a softer voice.

 

"It's..." Mello began. "There's really no way to describe it, Matt. It's a fucking horror show out there."

 

"What about the people you brought with you? Do THEY know what's happening?"

 

"They're just as much in the dark as we are. Hell, one of them woke up from a fucking _coma_ and the world just went to shit. I pity him, honestly." Mello admitted toward the end. "That group is his friends and family. What dumb luck he had in being in the right place at the right time. Found him in a fucking  _tank._ "

 

Matt arched an eyebrow. "A tank?"

 

Mello laughed a bit and shook his head. He noticed when his bangs shook in front of his vision, there was marred blood on them. "I'll tell you all about it. First things first; I need a shower. _Now._ " He looked at Matt thoughtfully. He reached and intertwined their hands together, tugging. "And _you're_ coming with me."

* * *

_God... this feels incredible._

 

Light had never been more appreciative of a shower then he was at that moment. The hot water cascaded down his body and he instantly felt his tense muscles loosen. He shrugged his shoulders under the pressure of the spray and let out a long, needed sigh. Thoughts were swirling through out his head as he raised his head up and let the water rinse through his hair and over his face. Caramel eyes opened toward the spray.

 

_I can't believe how close we were... how close we were to all dying out there._

 

Light's thoughts brought him to the past... to the very beginning of all of this. While there was very little information to run on, one thing was certain; the world was being overturned. His thoughts continued to his parents, to Ukita, to the family and friends he still had... he was eternally grateful to Mello for finding him. Had he not run into the problems he had, Light would have never been reunited with his family. The fact that Sayu and his fellow detectives were still alive was a stroke a luck. He wondered how many others out there had encountered such miraculous circumstances.

 

Turning off the hot water, Light stepped out of the shower cell and picked up a white, fluffy towel to begin drying his hair with. He was surprised to his clothes set out, clean and ready to be worn again. Light had to assume Watari had taken the liberty of cleaning his clothes. The building held several different bathrooms that held their own showers. Light was grateful for the privacy; he needed time to recollect his thoughts.

 

The man in charged, only known as Ryuzaki, made it obvious their presence was not welcome here. Light could only imagine the dispute that took place after Watari had showed their way out. Mello was the only one defending them. Light couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more going on here; a much more detailed ordeal that he wasn't supposed to know. His priority was set; to keep his family and friends safe. 

 

After getting himself dressed, Light made his way through the vacant building. He wasn't sure exactly where he was going, but he continued up. Before he realized it, he was on the roof. 

 

Cloud's scattered across the dusk sky, giving off an ominous glow. Light stepped out cautiously and made his way toward front. He took a deep breath and looked over the ledge. When he looked down, he could see hundreds of the undead scattered along the streets. Many of which were aimlessly trying to claw their way into the building. Logically, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. But here he stood; watching in awe. He couldn't believe this was happening. He almost felt he  _shouldn't_ believe. This went beyond logic and science; he felt like he was in a nightmare.

 

Above him was another building with a billboard in view. Deciding to let off some steam, Light reached for his gun and took aim at it. The walkers very well could not climb the walls. Light exhaled and began firing in perfect range. He hit every single target dead on; his one eye open determining which target to take. How he wished this weren't real. How he'd give anything to go back to his life. He couldn't wrap his mind around what could have caused this and what could have happened. He continued to pull the trigger and set his sights on targets that didn't matter. 

 

 

His mind went back to everything that was currently happening. Right now, for the moment, they were safe. But for how long Light wasn't sure. His thoughts bacl-tracked to his earlier line of thought. Ryuzaki had made it  _very_ clear that they weren't welcomed here. Whatever line of work they happened to be involved with interfered with them staying there. Light couldn't imagine anything at the point other than staying alive. The world was in shambles and Light needed time to figure out his next move. If they couldn't stay here Light would at least hope Ryuzaki would allow them to stay there long enough to come up with an alternative plan.

 

After a few more quiet moments, Light went back inside. He made his way back to the floor where the sleeping quarters and showers were. While he was on his way there, he bumped into a young man with red hair and goggles. The goggles fell to the floor and the red head muttered a quick apology.

 

"Sorry... not really used to having a lot of people here," he explained as he reached down to retrieve his goggles. He stood back up and looked at Light. He held out a hand toward Light; surprising the brunette still. "I'm Matt, by the way. Sorry I didn't introduce myself sooner. Given the situation I'm sure you understand."

 

Light let a pleased sigh, happy with the fact Matt wasn't quite as hostile as the previous person who introduced himself. "I'm Light, but you already knew that. Nice to meet you... I think?" he finished quietly at the end. He shook Matts hand in return.

 

Matt chuckled quietly. "I get it, I know. I'm sorry you had walked into this shit storm. I wish I could explain more but I really don't have any words to do that. I'm just glad you were able to help Mello get back here." He began walking down the long corridor and Light followed beside him. "Mello might not act it... but he has a good heart. A little less harsh then Ryuzaki. He's just trying to keep us all safe. He just has a really shitty way of showing that though."

 

"From what, exactly? What is it you all do? You're a small group of detectives, I can tell that much already. Mello was so cautious about saying anything it almost made it obvious."

 

Matt sighed and stopped walking, causing Light to abruptly stop as well. "Look... you may be right, but it's better you  _don't_ know. We aren't going to be staying here long anyway. Think of this as a pit-stop for us. Mello told me what happened to you before this all happened... and I'm sorry, I really am. I couldn't even imagine.  _But,_ sooner or later we aren't going to be here. If Ryuzaki decides to let you stay, which I hope he'd consider that possibility, then that's his choice." The red head frowned a bit when he saw the confusion on Light's face. "I'm pretty much telling you to be prepared. I can't control what he does. I'm not in charge here and neither is Mello. Right now though, I'm sure Watari is making dinner and hopefully  _then_ we can actually figure out what to do. Or help  _you_ figure out what to do."

 

Light nodded a bit numbly. "Yeah... I appreciate it, Matt. I really do. My whole family does."

 

Light had felt  _slightly_ better after his talk with Matt. There were still a few other people he had yet to truly interact with. Light followed Matt into a large room with several tables and chairs. It was clear this building was built for more then  _five_ people. There was a large kitchen area where Light could see several different portions and types of food being prepared. His mouth practically watered at the thought of eating something that wasn't in a can. It had only been a few days, but Light felt they were the longest days of his life. Matt wandered away from him and stood next to Watari and Mello while Sayu and the rest of his friends and family began coming into the dining room. Light could tell they had all showered and dressed into clean clothing, no doubt set out by the man known as Watari. Light couldn't quite figure out what to make of the man. He was always moving gracefully and taking care of every single detail. 

 

Light's thoughts came to a slow stop when he noticed all heads turning toward the entrance of the dining room. Ryuzaki, along with the short white haired male from earlier, entering into the room. Light felt an instant tendril of dread running through him. Judging from the looks of apprehension on everyone elses faces, he wasn't alone.

 

 

 


	8. Systems Offline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or The Walking Dead.

Eating was uneventful, for the most part.

 

Light quietly sat down at one of the tables in the dining area. The smell of chicken wafted in the air. Misa, of course, sat next to him and smiled at him. He returned the smile cautiously as he watched Ryuzaki and his companion entered from the corner of his eye. The dark haired man didn't seem to pay any of them mind as he sat down. Well, not exactly  _sitting_ per say; more like crouching into the chair and resting his knees against his chest. Light tilted his head in question on how any human being could possibly sit that way. He kept that to himself though.

 

Matsuda and Sayu sat together and Mogi joined them. Aizawa and Ide followed behind them not too long after. 

 

The other male the entered with Ryuzaki had yet to introduce himself or really talk to any of them. He silently sat down and waited for their meal. He didn't look any older than sixteen. He raised a hand toward his hair and twirled a strand of it idly. Mello and Matt had sat at their table but their entire forms were screaming from the tension of the conversation that had taken place earlier that day.

 

There was a heavy, uncomfortable thickness in the air. 

 

"Light Yagami, was it?"

 

Light's thoughts came to a stop and he turned his head to meet kind aged eyes. 

 

"Ah... yes?" he replied.

 

The older gentleman bowed his head slightly. "My name is Watari, if you hadn't already been told. The younger man over there is Near," he pointed briefly to the white haired boy sitting by Ryuzaki. Him and Light's eyes met briefly and he offered a short nod in acknowledgement. "And I know you've already met Ryuzaki and Matt," he finished while moving to serve them their meals. Quiet introductions were exchanged but Light's eyes couldn't tear away from their food.

 

_Control yourself, dammit._

Light, in turned, bowed his head slightly. "Pleased to meet you," he said. "And... thank you for the hospitality. I can't tell you how grateful we are."

 

Watari began serving them after that. Light's mouth practically watered when the plates placed in front of them had grilled chicken on it. How many days had it been since he last ate? Actually, how long had it really been since Light had been unconscious. It must have been a good few weeks since he had actually eaten anything solid. Judging by the way the rest of the group was looking at their food, Light felt he wasn't alone. 

 

Light waited briefly until he saw the others begin eating. He didn't want to appear rude, although, he wasn't really sure how to act at the moment. The air was tense. Ryuzaki, Near, Matt or Mello hadn't spoken a word since they had entered the room. They began eating quietly. Ryuzaki, instead of eating the same meal, was eating two pieces of strawberry cheesecake.

 

 _Okay... unless he ate earlier, that's a little strange._ Light thought to himself as he began eating. Sayu seemed to be waiting on Light before she began eating as well. Light  _almost_ moaned as the food hit his tongue. He felt ridiculous, but dammit, it was so  _good._ Luckily dinner went by without any issues. They had all cleared their plates and were exhausted. The entire day went by in a blur and Light wouldn't have minded getting a full nights sleep for a change.

 

Watari had escorted them out of the room and Light couldn't help but watch the four men from the corner of his eye. Not once had their looked in their direction. Light had a feeling there was an obvious reason for that, but he chose to ignore it. Maybe tomorrow things would be better. He was just happy that they were out of the hell that was outside of this building even if it was temporary. 

 

_I'm going to have to figure out what to do next then... If we can't stay here, we're going to have to sit down and discuss the next step. Obviously Mello won't be with us this time around, so it'll just be us. Misa doesn't even know how to load a gun, let alone shoot one. Sayu seems to be getting better... but she's still got a lot more to learn. If I can get everybody up to speed, I'm sure we'll be okay._

* * *

 

 

"I don't know what to make of them. I'm getting too many mixed signals," Aizawa stated as he sat on the edge of one of the beds in the suite. After bidding goodnight to Watari, the group changed into more comfortable sleep wear and decided to take the time to talk about their options. There were plenty of open rooms on the floor they currently were on. Before they decided to sleep they needed to talk. 

 

Mogi nodded in agreement as he sat in an armchair on the far side of the room. "It's clear they don't want us here," he said as looked down to the floor. "But there's more to it. It's almost as if we aren't  _supposed_ to be here."

 

"Watari, Mello and Matt seem to be okay... but as for the other two..." Ide murmured aloud.

 

Light sighed as he sat down. The room they were in had been fully furnished with two beds and two different love seats. There were also a few recliners and arm chairs around beside coffee tables. "I know. In all honesty, I'm not sure what to do. If we stay it's obvious we won't be welcomed. I say the best course of action is to rest up tonight and leave by dawn."

 

Misa frowned deeply as she next to Light. Sayu sat by Aizawa and Matsuda from across the room. "You're not going to try to convince them to let us stay?" Misa asked sincerely.

 

"There's no point. Ryuzaki seems to be in charge and he made it clear he didn't want us here. I don't want to walk on eggshells with anybody. I think it's best that we use the supplies we have and try to make camp outside of the city. Mello was able to do it, after all, I see no reason we can't either." Light responded shortly.

 

Sayu nodded in agreement. "I know we can do it, Light. We have our weapons. Maybe we can try to ask if they can spare some supplies...?"

 

Light shook his head. "I doubt they'd give us anything willingly. Like I said, Ryuzaki is in charge. He's all but said more than a few words to me."

 

"Why don't you look around while everyone's sleeping? Maybe you can find something useful for us once we're out on our own tomorrow," Misa suggested as she leaned against Light. "I'm sure with how well off they are they won't notice."

 

Light looked down at Misa, expression firm. "I'm not  _stealing_ from them after they've been kind enough to take us in."

 

"Light has a point. Think of the hell that would break loose if he'd been caught by somebody. We'd be thrown out of this building in a heartbeat." Matsuda explained.

 

The group was quiet for a few moments. Light really didn't know what the best course of action was. He was grateful they were clean and fed. Their clothes had been cleaned and they still had their weapons. Light knew if they'd work together, they could survive outside of this building. Light was far too intellectual to ignore his basic instincts of survival. Everyone in the room seemed to be waiting on him to speak. 

 

"I'll... take a look around but I am  _not_ stealing anything. If I happen to find anything useful that they could possibly be willing to spare, I'll speak to Ryuzaki tomorrow about it." He assured. "Let's take advantage of the fact we're safe right now and we actually can sleep on furniture."

 

Everyone seemed to agree rather quickly. Exhaustion from previous events had caught up with them quickly. Light had desperately wanted to sleep but kept true to his word to stay awake and look around the building. Once everyone had been soundlessly asleep; Light acted. He wandered out of the suite cautiously and made his way to the elevator. 

* * *

 

Light made his way through the eerily quiet hallways. The were dimly lit with a sort of blue hue of light. His bare feet padded along the corridor after he walked out of the elevator. It had to of been no later than three in the morning. He assumed everybody was definitely asleep at the point. While looking around, Light found a small weaponry and a supply of food that seemed to be well stocked. The auburn haired male imagined they'd been living off of this for a few weeks now. With the building sealed tight and given the evidence that nobody had ventured out, Light assumed nobody had been out for supplies.

 

The only logical thing to do was speak to Ryuzaki to see if he had any supplies to spare. Light was apprehensive about it, but he could possibly agree if they said they were going to be leaving. All Light cared about at this point was the safety of the only family and friends he had left. He had been fortunate this far. He didn't want to run into any more reasons to lose that sense of luck.

 

As Light strolled through the hallways, he found himself back in the first room he'd originally been brought to. Computer screens were idle but otherwise still running. Their screens were the reason the entire floor was littered with a soft blue glow. Light wondered how such a small group of detectives had come across such technology. Perhaps the building had them previously installed? Light didn't want to dwell on it too long... but of course, his mind wondered.

 

He examined all of the desktops and digital pads in front of him. The technology was top notch. He hadn't even seen anything compared to this as NPA headquarters. It made his mind reel and wonder who these people actually were. Detectives, no matter what caliber, did not have this sort of technolgy. Light reveled in it. How had they been able to survive this long with what was happening outside of these walls and why were they even here? Light's brain ran through the possibilities and different outcomes when a small noise caught his attention.

 

Light turned abruptly to see a tall figure illuminated in the blue glow of the screens. He quietly cleared his throat as he made his way into Light's vision. He was stunned to see Ryuzaki emerge. He felt a momentary feeling of panic flutter through him and Light squandered it. _I haven't done anything wrong... just looking around._

 

"Light," Ryuzaki greeted as he slowly moved toward the center of the room. He hands were tucked into his pockets and Light noted he was still slightly hunched over. "I thought you'd be asleep. Is there a reason you're wandering around at this time of night?"

 

Light racked his brain but his exterior was a cool and collected as ever. He gave Ryuzaki a shy smile. "I... couldn't sleep. I guess I was just trying to alleviate some tension by looking around," he explained while meeting onyx eyes. "I apologize. The last thing I want to do is cause trouble." Light finished by adding a touch of his best sincerity.

 

Ryuzaki looked at Light carefully before sighing. His pale face reflected the blue from the monitors. "It's quite alright," he murmured lowly. "I understand. It must be difficult to sleep in such a strange environment."  

 

"It... is a bit," Light admitted, strangely. "But it is safe. I can rest easy knowing that we are away from what's happening outside."

 

Ryuzaki seemed silent at the comment while he walked toward the center computer chair. 

 

Light continued slowly. "I... well, what I mean to say is, thank you for allowing us to stay here. It really means a lot to me and my family."

 

The darker haired male looked over his should briefly at Light before crouching onto the chair. "It is no problem."

 

There was a heavy silence that rang through the air and Light was starring at the mans back. _That's a damn lie._ He usually never stumbled on his words, but at the moment, he didn't know what to say. He exhaled quietly and figured he could at least be honest.

 

"I... understand you do not want us here. That much is very clear," Light began. Ryuzaki slowly turned in his chair to face Light as he spoke. "I wanted to speak to you about the probability of letting us stay here. If that isn't something you'd agree to... perhaps you'd allow us to take some time and maybe a few supplies so we could prepare to―"

 

Before Light could finish an abruptly loud alarm sounded inside of the building. The computer screens in front of Light and Ryuzaki began to shine red as alarms echoed through the entire building. Light placed his hands over his ears and winced as he watched Ryuzaki swiftly type on the keyboard in front of him. Nothing seemed to work in stopping the alarm and Light knew this couldn't be any good. Before any of them knew it everyone was suddenly pouring into the room. Groggy and disoritented, apprehensive and questionable looks were being exchanged.

 

"The hell is going on?" Aizawa roared from the corridor, not even trying to hide his irritation.  Light watched as Matt pushed his way passed everybody. Watari and Near were directly behind him, the older man had a deep frown on his face while the younger male twirled a strand of hair between his fingers anxiously.

 

"Ryuzaki..." Matt began.

 

Ryuzaki regarded Matt with a deep gaze. "Matt... explain this. What is happening?"

 

"The generators are shutting down one by one... the systems are going offline as we speak." Matt replied hastily as he walked over to Ryuzaki and began typing on the keyboard beside him. "No warning. Nothing. And once the generators shut down..."

 

"Fix it," Ryuzaki commanded at his side. 

 

"I... that's the thing, I  _can't_ fix this. We have access to nothing outside of this building. We barely have electricity to run off of. That means..."

 

Light was stunned; silent. He observed what was happening and realization dawned on him. His features twisted grimly. "Your systems are offline. The protection for the building is going to collapse."

 

Light heard sharp gasps all around him. 

 

"Ryuzaki... once the generators shut down, the building will no longer be locked. Those damn things on the outside will get inside and we will all be killed." Matt explained quietly. "At most we have probably twenty minutes before the final generator shuts down. After that, it'll be game over."

 

"There has to be something you―" Ryuzaki began debating.

 

Matt shook his head firmly and ceased his typing. "If it were maybe one or two generators... I could get us by with those. But if all of them stop working simultaneously, the entire building will lose power. Once that happens..." The red head turned and regarded them all with a sincere look of doubt and fear. "This building will be wide open for them to get inside." 

 

Mello stepped forward and moved by Matt. "Not only that. That sound from the alarm? You can bet it's going to attract those soulless bastards right to us," the blonde explained grimly. "This could probably be heard from miles away." 

 

Light and the rest of his group watched in horror as the screen in the corner displayed the outside of the building. Walkers were trying to claw and even climb their way inside. One of the generators had slowly died down, officially offline. Once that had happened, Light watched as the door to the main center of the building lost it's barricade. The security had been lifted from the lack of the power. Slowly but surely, walkers began to pour inside. Walking aimlessly and this time, with purpose, they all watched as the undead began to make their way passed the main lobby.

 


	9. One Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or The Walking Dead.

The alarm was blaring in their ears. 

 

Light looked at Ryuzaki as he kept his hands on his ears. "Turn the damn alarm off!" he screamed above the high pitch noise. Near walked over and began typing next to Matt. Light could see all four of them were trying to by pass whatever security they had left. Light felt his heart hammering in his chest as slowly but surely, camera's were going off one by one on the display screens. 

 

He felt a terrible shadow of foreboding fall upon them as the light's began to flicker. It wouldn't be long before those also turned off. They'd be stuck with no eyes on the outside and without  _electricity_ of all things. Abruptly, the noise of the alarm had stopped and Light removed his hands gingerly from his ears.

 

Watari stood across the room and seemed to disable the sound by ripping blue wires that were attached to a control panel next to him. As a result of doing that more than half of the electricity was lost. The room darkened considerably. 

 

Light could see Ryuzaki staring intently at what was left of the display monitors. Walkers, now that the security had lifted, were pouring in through the main entrance. The entrance had been sealed tight before this had happened. Light briefly remembered them hitting the door desperately as they fought their way inside. "They're getting inside..." Ryuzaki murmured.

 

"Then I think it's safe to say we need to get the hell out of here and  _fast_ ," Aizawa stated. 

 

Ryuzaki hummed quietly. If he was acting as if they weren't all about to  _die,_ he was doing a remarkably fantastic job with it. Light could practically feel the sweat rolling down his brow. "I'm not sure if leaving would be the best idea," he drawled. "We'd easily be ambushed and killed."

 

Sayu stepped forward, boldly stating: "If we stay here we  _will_ be ambushed. Especially now that we do not have cameras to work with. I think the best plan should be to get prepared and make our way out."

 

Ryuzaki looked like he was about to argue, but surprisingly, Near had stepped in. "She's right, Ryuzaki. It will only be a matter of time before those things outside make their way inside. We would be trapped without escape. It would be unwise to stay here knowing this information," he explained. Dark eyes were on Light and the rest of his family and friends standing by the corridor. "Light's group has seen first hand what has happened outside of this building. So has Mello. I don't think they'd suggest leaving the comfort of this building if they truly thought it would kill us."

 

"What are we supposed to do though? We can't exactly walk passed them," Matsuda said as he brought a hand anxiously beneath his chin. "And I doubt we can take all of them. I don't want to think that we'll all end up..." 

 

"We cannot allow ourselves to think like that," Watari said from Matsuda's right side. "We need to at least try to escape. Most of the people here are trained with weapons and combat I'm assuming?" the elder man inquired.

 

Light didn't doubt that Ryuzaki, Mello, Matt and Watari were well trained. In their line of work it was definitely necessary to know how to defend yourself. Near though... he couldn't really say. The teen was smaller compared to everyone around them. In his own group, Light already knew Misa had never held a gun let alone shot one. Sayu seems to have learned along the way from Aizawa, Matsuda, Ide and Mogi. He was sure from Ukita as well. They had all done a hell of a job protecting his sister. Without them Light was sure she would have died.

 

"Most of us," Light answered shortly. He nodded toward Ryuzaki while looking at Watari. "I'm going to guess you all can defend yourselves as well?"

 

"Without question," Ryuzaki replied in place of Watari. "Although Near still hasn't received very formal training. Who among us has never shot a firearm?"

 

Slowly and with some hesitation Misa had raised her hand. Mello had seen first hand the young woman scream her pretty head off when they were attacked in the woods and inside the camper. He wasn't surprised in the least.

 

"I can watch over her and show her how to properly defend herself," Light replied sternly. The brunette had a feeling Ryuzaki had asked that for different reasons. If they were going to be leaving it seemed he wanted to know who would hinder them along the way. 

 

Sayu stepped forward. "I can too. I know if I can learn than she can too."

 

"It's settled then. Before we leave... we will go through the inventory of weapons that we have on hand and take as much as we can carry." Watari began as he himself reached toward his hip to examine his firearm. "We can also make sure we take as much canned supplies as possible. If we work together, I trust we can manage outside of these walls."

 

Ryuzaki had finally stood up, clearly not liking where this was going. "Watari, you're not actually suggesting that we go with them?"

 

"Why shouldn't we?" Watari asked in turn. "Would you rather stay here and die? We are better in larger numbers, Ryuzaki and you know it."

 

"Of course not. But  _how_ are we supposed to get passed them? It's not as if we can just walk our way out there and not be detected. A large group will more than likely attract them to us." The detective replied.

 

 _He... sort of has a point. It could potentially draw them to us. We can't exactly split up either if they're coming from all sides and we definitely can't go out guns blazing. There has to be some sort of factor about the walkers that we can use to find our way out of this situation._ Light's mind was racing as he briefly looked at one of the remaining camera's. He could see walkers piled on one another trying to steadily make their way into the front entrance. There wasn't very much time for them to think. They were on the 20th floor. The clock was ticking for them.

 

Light watched the walkers with sharp eyes. Nothing seemed to stick out about them. The were mindless and going off whatever instinct was left. Their instinct was to eat. 

 

But not each other.

 

_Of course. Of course! It's natural in their state because of the virus to act savagely. But why don't they eat each other? There has to be some sort of scent that must throw them off. Something that indicates that they're dead._

 

Light walked over next to Ryuzaki and pointed at the screen. "I... think I may have just figured out a way to walk out of here alive."

 

Dark eyes bored into the side of his face before turning around the look at the screen next to Light. "Do tell," the detective replied. The brunette took a moment to briefly looked more closely at the raven's face before pressing his finger against the walkers on screen. 

 

"Does anybody else notice that the walkers don't bother attacking or eating each other? Don't you find that a little strange? Their baser instincts is the just  _eat_ and yet they do not bother turning on each other." Light explained, punctuating his point by jabbing his finger against the monitor.

 

Ryuzaki's eyes were wider than usual and he examined the screen. Light could see him bringing a thumb against his lips and brushing subtly against them, back and forth. 

 

"Holy shit... Asian has a point. Why  _aren't_ they attacking each other?" Mello inquired more to himself than anybody. 

 

"Because something among the dead is distinct and they know it," Ryuzaki stated. "Light... that's an incredible observation. But I fail to see how that would exactly help us escape."

 

Light gave Ryuzaki a flat look. "Think about it," he said quietly. He could tell from the mans eyes he was intelligent. The way he spoke and his disposition practically screamed it. He allowed Ryuzaki a few moments before a flash of recognition reflected in dark eyes.

 

"Their blood."

 

"Exactly, their blood." Light replied; satisfied.

 

"But wait," Misa interjected. "How are we supposed to get their blood? The only way we'd be able to do that is to cut one―" The blonde stopped and her hand went to her mouth. 

 

The room was silent before Matt quietly said: "We have to kill one and wear it's blood, don't we?"

 

"That'd... probably be the best bet. I don't see any other way. A few of us can get downstairs and take a few down while whoever is up here can gather the supplies we need. We still have the bag of guns we retrieved earlier along with whatever Watari said is in their armory." Light explained carefully while looking around the room. Everybody seemed too stunned to really say anything.

 

Mogi was the first to break the horrific silence that fell on them. "Light... are you crazy? Covering ourselves in their blood? How do we know that will even work? If we go out there it could possibly be suicide for us."

 

Light could understand the fear that was currently seeping in the air. Light himself felt the fear coursing through him. But they wouldn't know until they tried, as Watari had earlier said. Was it really better to wait around for their death's or at least try to fight for their lives? He knew his own answer but it seemed it would take some convincing on everyone else's end.

 

"Would you rather stay here and die? I'd rather die trying to hold myself here to be eaten. It's not as if this is something I  _want_ to do, Mogi," Light began explaining while running a frustrated hand through his brown hair. He was so tired of being nice about this. "If you want to stay here, fine. I won't allow me or my family to stay here and wait to die."

 

"Light..." Sayu began as Light stormed past here. "Light, wait, please―"

 

"I'm going downstairs and taking one of them down. If anybody is against this plan, by all means, stay here. I'm being both calm and logical about this. In a few minutes this building will have absolutely no power," Light explained. He turned toward Mogi with stern eyes. "We'll die here. Bottom line. You've seen them, haven't you? Seen what they can do? I refuse to stay here and die like that."

 

There was a terrible silence as Light made his way toward the elevator. He felt as though he may have been too harsh but at the moment he didn't care. He had been patient. He had be tolerable. He was running on no sleep and his injury practically pulsed from the stress. Light didn't even understand how he was still moving forward at this point.  _My drive is to keep my wife and family safe. No matter the cost. I consider Mogi family as well... but with the same thought process as Ryuzaki, I will not be hindered by uncertainty._

 

"I'll go with you."

 

Light turned sharply to see Mello stepping forward. "I'll go with you. I can help you take a few of them down. Enough to cover ourselves."

 

"Mello―" Matt started.

 

"I've been around Light long enough to know he can at least defend himself. His entire group can, really. We can keep an eye on his pretty wife and help her learn the basics of killing one of these heartless bastards. I'm sorry, Matty. But I'm going through with this whether you like it or not," Mello explained. Deep blue eyes turned toward Ryuzaki. "Whether you like it or not either," he added.

 

Near turned dark eyes toward Mogi. "Light's plan seems to be the most efficient. I believe we should go along with it. As he said, it would be better than staying here and waiting to die. "

 

"But the risks are  _far_ too high to gamble with. One wrong move and we will all  _die._ " Ryuzaki stated in a rush.

 

Watari sighed quietly. "Near is right, Ryuzaki. Light's plan is the best we have. The rest of us who aren't going downstairs will gather all of the supplies we can. Food, medical supplies and weapons. Anything for bare necessities," the older man elaborated. 

 

"If it means staying alive... I'm behind you one hundred percent, Light." Matsuda said as he moved to stand at Mello's side. "I'll go down and help you both. We can cover more ground that way."

 

"It's settled then."

 

Light, Matsuda and Mello began to move toward the elevator when Watari said: "Ryuzaki, you should go with them as well. You are an excellent shot, after all."

 

An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of Light's stomach as Ryuzaki shuffled over toward the three of them. In his dark eyes, Light could see a burning anger behind them. Light wasn't sure who or where it was directed toward but it was unmistakable in his eyes. Based on the rage in his eyes, Light wasn't quite expecting to hear: "Of course," from Ryuzaki.

 

It was set. The four men made their way down the elevator in the main lobby while the rest of the group gathered the needed supplies. Light led Mello, Ryuzaki and Matsuda down to the lobby. Light could tell from the shortened steps of the detective he had yet to face the undead head on. Luckily the walkers hadn't made their way up the stairs but sooner or later they would. Also, eventually, the elevator would be inoperable. Light felt the blood pulsing in his veins as he led his group toward a savage group of walkers. The pit of his stomach churned. 

 

From the corner of his eye he could see Ryuzaki raising the automatic pistol he had at the side of his pants. Light raised his hand immediately.

 

"No gun shots. We need to be quiet or else we'll draw more of them here," the brunette explained quietly in the thickness of the lobby.

 

Ryuzaki raised a barely visible brow. "How else are we supposed to kill them?" he asked.

 

"Just watch," Mello muttered. Him, Light and Matusda all moved forward with an alarming speed. The main lobby was littered with walkers. Maybe a dozen. The rest were trapped beyond the doors of the building. Too many at once had no chance at entering based on security measures. But with time, they'd all make their way in. Especially now that the security was down.

 

Ryuzaki's eyes were wide as he watched the trio move with blades in hand. Each of them raising the weapons up above their heads as they fearlessly approached the creatures. A loud series of thuds could be heard as each blade was brought down with precision onto the walkers skulls. Their bodies fell almost unanimously onto the floor. It had happened so quickly, the raven haired male barely understood what had happened.

 

Three dead walkers were on the floor while the growls erupted from beyond the barely stable barricade. The rest of the group had made their way to the main lobby with bags and backpacks adorned on their shoulders. They had arrived right at the moment Light, Mello and Matsuda had brought their blades up forward and with a resounding 'splish' began carving their way inside of the bodies of the undead. All eyes were on them as they began drawing the blood that Light claimed would somehow save them all. 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my long awaited chapter. My son's birthday was this week and with Easter it was a bit hectic! (First birthday without his daddy here... so... it was rough.) This story is MAINLY Light's POV. But you will see some instances where the point of view will change. Every 100 kudos I will include a 'Reverse' chapter. I am excited for this! It will be a chapter from an entirely different point of view. I am open to suggestions. If there is something you'd like to know or see me write let me know. I have just reached 100 kudos and I am pleasantly surprised and so happy. It can also range from time in the story. I am SO excited for the next phase of the story! Kudos and comments are love. Happy reading! Next chapter will be up in 2 weeks!


	10. Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or the Walking Dead.

_**“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”** _

  
_**― Leon C. Megginson** _

* * *

 

Light could smell it. It crept into his nose as he continued to stab his blade over and over  _and over again._ Oh God, the  _stench._ It was unlike anything Light had ever smelled before in his entire life. Judging from the looks on his companions faces, he wasn't alone in his disgust. Cool blood splattered onto his cheeks, his shirt and his hands as he, Mello and Matsuda continued their brutal assault.

 

_I can't believe I'm doing this I can't believe I'm doing this―_

 

That was all Light could conjure in his mind as he finished slashing his knife. From the corner of Light's eye, he could see Ryuzaki, along with the rest of the group, watching with apprehensive eyes. His chestnut hair was beginning to cake with decaying blood. 

 

All three of them stood up when they realized the walkers weren't moving anymore. Everything inside of the lobby felt thick and uncomfortable. Light turned briefly. "We'll need something to drape over ourselves... unless you want to just try and walk out with the blood on your skin," Light huffed a tired breath. "I'd prefer not to though."

 

Watari and Matt had presented bed sheets from the suites upstairs. "These should do the trick," Matt said as he handed them to Light and Mello.

 

Light nodded his thanks and began holding the sheets out toward everybody. "The longer we take the harder it will be to escape. Everybody take a sheet and start covering yourselves."

 

Nobody seemed to move upon the command. Misa had turned he head away while shaking it slightly. "I'm not touching that― I can't, Light. Do you even smell how bad that stuff is―"

 

Light let out a heavy breath through his nose. "Misa..." he began. His patience was coming to a grinding halt. Between Mogi and Misa, Light was very close to saying every man for himself. Did they think he was enjoying this? Did they not realize that between all of the intellect in this room, that nobody could come up with anything better? This was not some puzzle to solve; this was a life or death situation. 

 

Light walked up to his wife and placed steady and careful hands on her shoulders. The blood seeped from them onto her blouse. "I am asking you, for once in your life, to listen to me. This is the only way we are walking out of here alive." Upon saying this, Light took one of the sheets bunched up at his feet and brought it toward Misa. "Put this around you and I'll cover you. Please―please don't argue."

 

After Light's reasoning, everybody began to drape the sheets around their bodies. 

 

And after much hesitation, Watari seemed to follow Light, Matsuda and Mello's lead and began to dig his hands into the corpses of the walkers. Slowly but surely, everybody began to drape and cover themselves with blood. With much whining from Misa's end, Light was able to properly cover her as he saw fit. He placed careful hands and dragged blood onto the back of Misa's thin neck. Mello was helping Matt do the same and in turn, Matt was assisting Near. Everybody seemed to carefully follow everyone elses lead and finally, to Light's relief, everybody got the message.

 

Ryuzaki stood somewhat frozen until Watari brought a hand covered to his neck, smearing blood along the thin bone aligned there. The young man was startled and Watari simply instructed him: "Do not hesitate."

 

The noises that tore through their personal silence was almost unbearable. Light made haste and soon, everybody seemed to be covered and ready. Light nodded toward the group. "Keep your weapons steady but do  _not_ make any sudden moves or noises. I know first hand they are startled easily. If we walk among them slowly... we should be able to get passed them."

 

Once they were sufficiently covered... the entire group stood by the doors and waited quietly. 

 

Light was the first to push through those doors.

 

When the group stepped outside, their first instinct was the tuck into themselves out of fear. But much to everyones surprise... the walkers moved around them as if they hadn't even existed. Relief was swelling in Light's chest as he moved carefully, with automatic pistol in hand, and began to lead toward what he had hoped was safety. The how's and when's could wait; the most important motive was to get as far away from the city as possible. They could plan after that. Ryuzaki was directly behind him and from the corner of Light's eye, he could see he was gripping his gun with accurate precision; ready to fire at any given moment. In one long line, they began to move forward.

 

A soft whimper could be heard and Light briefly turned to see Misa placing a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. One of the dead had come directly next to her and was carefully sniffing the air around her. Light's first instinct was to run toward her but luckily, Sayu stepped in and placed a careful hand on the blondes shoulder. His sister moved Misa along as carefully and calmly as she could. 

 

It seemed like hours, in Light's mind. The calculated footsteps and the thudding rhythm of his own heartbeat. If Light hadn't already know it wasn't possible he was sure his heart would break out of his chest and onto the concrete. He had faced many things in his life and career but nothing quite like this. A grotesque woman was striding alongside him and he could smell her decaying breath. He had never been quite this close to death before although he was cutting out what had just happened a few weeks ago. Here he was though, all of them, surrounded in every angle by undead and flesh eating monsters. There were  _hundreds_ of them.

 

This was truly nerve wrecking in every aspect. Light couldn't believe how well this was working in their favor. They had made it at least a mile so far. It was very slow and steady progress with how carefully they were walking, but it was progress nonetheless.

 

But all good things come to an end, the brunette realized, when a drop of precipitation fell upon his arm. Light's brows furrowed and he raised his head up toward the sky. 

 

_Rain... of course, fucking rain. Right now. At this moment._

 

Light felt his heart hammer in his chest as the blood from the walkers that was caked along his neck and shoulders began to slowly melt away and onto the concrete. When he turned his head to examine everybody behind him, he could register the same panic that was coursing through him along their features. The blood was slowly pooling at their feet and leaving the sheets.

 

"Stay  _calm_ ," Light muttered in a huff. 

 

Easier said than done when the creatures around all eleven of them began to sniff and curl their lips in question. The scent that was drawing them away was dissipating steadily and quickly. Light's hand trembled around his gun and it took every ounce of his will power to stop himself from shooting. He had to remind himself as well to stay calm.

 

The buildings that towered around them gave them no security. They were practically trapped as the walkers began to advance on them. Light held in his own whimper as a gray mouth moved next to his cheek and snarled at him. His blood ran cold as he heard a deep scream tear it's way through the pitter patter of the rain around them. His blood also seemed to ignite when he cocked his head to the side and realized Ide and Aizawa were steadily surrounded by a savage group of walkers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... I am overwhelmed by the response of the last chapter! Thank you all so much! This chapter was pretty much a build up but next chapter... I am excited for it. It will be from a different point of view. Thank you all again for sticking with me and being so patient. I am so grateful! Feel free to comment or leave kudos. See you all next chapter!


	11. Gunshots and Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or The Walking Dead.

 

L's first instinct was to reach for his gun and aim at the threat. His body, however, didn't seem to react to the commands of his brain. He watched with wide eyes of what he could describe as horror as one of the creatures took a swift bite into the man known as Ide. It had all happened so fast, L was sure this was the very first time his body and mind didn't know how to properly react.

 

L's second instinct was to run and try to save the man currently screaming in agony. 

 

He reflected back to the very first time he had seen the creatures. Or 'walkers' as Light Yagami had referred them to. Upon his arrival to Japan, L and Watari prepared to assist on a serial killing case. This was nothing new. L had seen many things in his life and career from an early age. It came with acceptance after so long. He understood what he was striving for and acknowledged what he had to face. He had brought his best three onto the case with him for simple observation, nothing more. 

 

 Nothing had prepared him, nor his successors or mentor, for this.

 

L watched in what seemed like slow motion of the man known as Ide tore his arm away and fell to the floor. He had managed to push Aizawa away from him in attempts to protect his fellow officer in arms. Before long, Light was the first of many to begin opening fire on the horde that surrounded them. Watari, who was beside L, began to unleash bullets from his own gun. From the corner of L's dark eyes, he could see Mello fighting alongside Matt; shielding Near from any attack from the undead.

 

L moved swiftly, his brain hard-wiring back to the present and aimed with deadly accuracy toward the surrounding enemies.

 

Rain was hindering L's vision, though sharp as it may be, but he was able to take down more than a few of the undead. Thin fingers held the weapon in front of him and moved quietly alongside the group. His mind was racing through the events that had taken place in a matter of weeks. His thoughts matched the thumping of his heart as Watari pushed him to stay within formation. Along the way of retreating, the entire group seemed to form one large circle. Near and Misa seemed to be the center of that circle. 

 

Ide stumbled and Aizawa and Light tried their best to steady him. Light could see the bleeding from his arm. There was a large indentation in skin marred with blood. The brunette winced as his eyes gazed at it. 

 

"Keep moving!"

 

L couldn't tell who had shouted the order but he obeyed. He continued to shoot his way through without breaking away from the group. They continued to edge closer and closer toward the ending reaches of the city. Once they were out of this terrain, L concluded they'd have more ground to be able to see their targets. They were virtually trapped here. Tall buildings and winding streets blocking out visions of hordes of the undead. 

 

Light was doing what he could to keep Ide moving along with everybody else. His strength seemed to have depleted shortly after getting bitten. There is blood gushing from the mans upper arm. His face was contorted in determination as he continued to move forward. It seemed to have dragged on for what appeared to be hours. In actuality, it had only been a few minutes. Time seemed to stand still once they reached the edge of the city and with much relief, a very deserted highway appeared in front of them. Slowly, the walkers were behind them were becoming less and less.

 

When L's vision was more focused, his first line of sight led him to see the abandoned cars along the highway.

 

The highway was littered with hundreds of abandoned vehicles. It seemed to stretch out for miles and miles on end. Through their haze, the group had managed to fight off the remaining walkers that were following them toward the outside of the city. All that could be seen was endless highway and an even more endless forest alongside it. There was a terrible feeling that was instilled in the fiber of L's bones as he watched Light lean Ide alongside a car. Ide was barely able to catch his breath as he cradled his arm. Aizawa was next to Light and trying to offer the other man his aid.

 

"I'm... I'm fine. We  _have_ to keep moving," Ide offered as he pushed himself away from the car he was leaning on. "They're going to catch up to us."

 

So they pressed on.

 

L felt as though they were going through a mindless maze of cars. Along the way, L had noticed there weren't any survivors. He couldn't help but stare incredulously at every empty vehicle as they made their way. The group was mostly silent; except of course for Ide's moans of pain.

 

"Light... we need to let him rest," Sayu offered as she moved and pressed a hand toward he brothers chest. "He can't keep moving if we push him like this."

 

Ide shook his head. "I can keep going. It's alright; I'll be alright."

 

Light had known, the entire group had know; hell even Misa had known that that was a lie. The memories of Ukita played fresh in Light's memory and he knew that Ide was following the same path. Unless they had some sort of miracle cure right at that moment, Ide was going to turn and die.

 

"Maybe there's something we can do," Matsuda said. "Maybe we can find supplies in the cars―"

 

Mello sighed and stepped from his place along Watari and Matt. "There isn't any other way," he explained calmly while looking at Ide. "We just witnessed this a little more than a day ago. Once you're bitten, you're as good as dead." 

 

Ide's face seemed to fall at this statement and his body trembled.

 

"I'm sorry," Mello added quietly.

 

Light seemed conflicted. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do or how to fix the problem in front of him. He knew logically there was no way of saving Ide. If they continued to carry him along he'd eventually turn and try to kill them all. He ran a frustrated hand down his face and exhaled a shaky sigh. 

 

Ide swallowed thickly. "I want you guys to leave me here," he stated quietly.

 

Light, along with everybody else, began to argue against the idea immediately. 

 

"We can't just  _leave_ you here," Misa exclaimed. "You'll get eaten... or worse, you'll become one of those  _things_ and―"

 

"Don't you think I realize this?" Ide retorted, on the verge of hysterics in his own right. "I can't take all of you down with me, there's nothing else we can do. I'm not going to get everybody else killed so please―" he inhaled sharply. "Please, just do this one last favor for me."

 

L knew it was the only probable thing to do. If any of them had a chance of surviving, they couldn't risk bringing Ide with them. It was cold or perhaps callous; but it was basic human logic. The detective could see the looks of apprehension and sadness along everybody's features and knew this wasn't an easy decision to make.  

 

Light was the first to speak. "Alright," he said quietly, as if to himself before saying more loudly: "Alright, Ide."

 

Light released Ide. Aizawa, Mogi and Matsuda moved Ide toward a large tree along the side of the highway and laid him beneath it. Ide let out a hiss as he moved his battered arm and cradled it in his other hand. Everyone stood in a deep silence around the man. His breathing was shaky and his skin was becoming sickly pale. They knew it wouldn't be long before he turned. Light felt an overwhelming grief wash over him at the thought of who had died so far. 

 

"I want to ask one more thing," Ide murmured quietly, raising his head from where it dipped to his chest. Dark hair was damp against his forehead. "I want a gun."

 

The silence had hung heavier this time and understanding bloomed in it's wake.

 

"I... I want to die on my own terms." 

 

Ide was surprised when Matt had stepped forward. Nobody else seemed to be able to move. The red head reached into the side of his trousers and pulled out a semi-automatic pistol. He leaned down and placed the gun in Ide's hands. Matt murmured a quiet 'I'm sorry' and stepped back toward Mello and Watari. The older man stood behind them with a sad and understanding expression along his features.

 

Light gritted his teeth and closed his eyes for a brief moment. Memories flooded his mind from the very first time he had met Ide to the very last case they had worked on together. Light had been working closely with these men for a number of years and the fact they were dying one by one was destroying him. In the end his plan hadn't saved them; it caused one of them to die.

 

"Don't look like that, Light." Ide broke the brunette out of his thoughts and amber eyes turned toward the dying man. "If it weren't for you... we'd all probably be dead. Please, I know that look. You... you can't blame yourself." His breath came out in a rush as the oxygen slowly was dissipating from his lungs.

 

Light nodded shakily and opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it. What  _could_ he actually say at this point? 

 

Ide turned his head slowly and met L's gaze. His eyes shifted from the detective than toward Mello, Matt, Near and Watari. "Thank you... for giving them a chance."

 

L's eyes were wide and he nodded slowly. Like Light, he couldn't find the words to reply with.

 

Ide nodded toward the highway ahead. "You guys... should go, really, I'll be fine."

 

That was a lie. What it really translated to was:  _I'm going to shoot myself as soon as you're out of sight._

 

Light was surprised when Misa walked over and placed a kiss on Ide's forehead before stepping back. Sayu had walked beside Mogi and said her own goodbyes. Slowly, everybody was saying goodbye to Ide for the last time.

 

With a deep breath, Light began walking forward. "Let's go... we don't have very much time before the sun sets."

 

They all gave Ide one last glance and reluctantly followed behind Light. They knew this was the only thing they could do but with each step away from Ide a part of each of them wanted to turn back. Light put the thought to the back of his mind and continued forward. Ide was right; he couldn't very well jeopardize the entire group and Light had always known Ide had a selfless part of him. The man was braver than he had ever given him credit for. Light could hear quiet murmurs and shaking breath's from either side of him and knew he wasn't alone in his train of thought.

 

Fifteen minutes had passed before Light had heard a distant but piercing sound of a gunshot in the air.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hides*
> 
> We are shifting points of view here. Light's point of view was mainly the beginning and now we are focusing on more than just him. You may notice the shift from 'Ryuzaki' to 'L'. Light and the others, aside from the main investigation team, do not know of L's identity. It will stay that way for some time.
> 
> The next chapter will not take nearly as long as this one. I had a very long and exhausting month but I am more focused now. Kudos and comments are always appreciated and I am so grateful for the wonderful feedback from the awesome readers enjoying this story. See you next chapter!


	12. Wanderlust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Ide's death, the group finds themselves wandering the highways outside of Tokyo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or The Walking Dead.

"We should rest here," Watari insisted as the sunset could be seen over the horizon.

 

A few appreciative sighs could be heard as Light wiped a hand across his brow and leaned against an abandoned car. His breathing was more labored than usual, which was strange to him since it was so rare for him to overexert himself. They had been walking for a few miles, at least. They were granted a few more hours of daylight but Light could see that within the next hour it would be dark. This would be their first night out on their own. Without a camp. Without any protection. _Judging from the looks of Ryuzaki and his associates, this will be theirs as well._ Light thought. 

 

Watari began unloading a few supplies from the bag he was carrying. He began handing out the water containers he had managed to store inside the bag as well as a few different snack items that should sustain them. He handed L a container of water. The detective made a face. "Drink it," the elder man pushed. "You'll dehydrate at this rate."

 

L continued to give Watari a flat look before sighing and taking the container to his lips. God  _this is vile_. Of course it could have been worse, there could have been nothing to drink at all. The detective could already feel the difference in his body without the usual sugar intake that he was accustomed to. Although he knew he'd have to suck it up and accept it; it still was an unfortunate ordeal. What he wouldn't give for even  _juice_ right now.

 

L wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and observed everybody around them quietly. Light was currently leaning against a car with Misa standing next to him. Judging by how close she was standing to him, he'd assume she was his wife. But L knew Light's maritial status based on the files he had collected for each of the detectives he was working with. He could see a ring on both of their left fingers. Although Light had briefly introduced himself and his friends, he hadn't really been told their relationships or who was really who. From what L could remember from Light's file, Sayu was Light's sister. The resemblance was striking. She appeared young, probably lower twenties. Sayu had a bit more youth to her face than Light did. There were no elder individuals with Light or Sayu so he drew a conclusion that either their parents had vanished or they had died.

 

L's eyes drifted toward the other detectives that had worked alongside Light. He had only seen them briefly on a computer screen but he knew these were the same detectives he had conversed with via video feed. Aizawa appeared to be much older than everybody else they were traveling with with the exception of Watari. Mid thirties from what his file read. There was also a ring on his left finger but L didn't see another woman around so he assumed his wife had left the city or perhaps she had passed on. 

 

Dark eyes examined Matsuda next. He was currently sitting on the ground next to Sayu. L's sharp eyes could catch the briefest touch of their hands before they pulled apart upon Light turning toward them. Interesting... but quite obvious. Matsuda was older than Sayu by many years. Not enough to consider a relationship such as that taboo... but considering the way they had pulled apart when Light's eyes fell on them was enough to know that they didn't want Sayu's older brother knowing. 

 

Mogi was by far the most quiet. He was a larger man but his disposition was friendly enough. Early thirties. His looked weary and tired. He also appeared very pale. L's eyes drifted and noticed something crimson coming down his leg. His eyebrows shot up and before he could say anything, Matt seemed to beat him to it.

 

"Holy― hey, you're bleeding!" Matt tossed his cigarette and knelt down to examine Mogi's leg a little more closely. "Dude, you're bleeding  _a lot!_ "

 

Light and Aizawa quickly knelt in Matt's place. "What the hell happened, Mogi? Wait, you weren't bitten were you?" Aizawa asked hastily. 

 

The bigger man shook his head quickly. "No! No, I swear! You would've known if I had been bitten or not." He placed his hand against his wound and hissed at the pain. Beneath his pants, nobody could see the extent of the injury. "I think when we started running I had ran into something sharp. With all of the commotion... I must have not really realized it until a few minutes ago," he explained. 

 

Watari gently pushed Matt away. "Lift up your pant leg, let me see how bad it is."

 

Mogi hesitated for a split second before obeying. He lifted the leg of his trousers up carefully while clenching his eyes shut. Everybody gasped quietly when his injury was revealed. A deep slash appeared in the middle of his calve. It was deep enough where he would've needed stitches easily. Mello grimaced as he moved from his place beside Matt.

 

"Dear God, what did you run into, a fucking sword?"

 

"You're going to need some sort of antibiotic and antiseptic or you'll be risking an infection. Your wound is deep enough where that will become a problem for you, trust me." Watari explained as he stood up with a sigh.

 

"How are we supposed to get any of those things?" Matsuda hesitated to ask as all of them began to gather around Mogi. 

 

Near looked around briefly. "We should try looking in the abandoned vehicles. Seeing as though they're no signs of life here, we can assume that most of these people have died and left behind their possessions."

 

Misa placed a hand against her mouth. "Do you... really need to say it like that? We don't know if all of these people died or not."

 

"Would you rather I lie and your friend dies from an infection?"

 

"No, but gosh, you don't have to be so  _rude_  about it!"

 

"Alright, enough!" Light intervened and stood between Misa and Near. "Near's right, Misa. These cars are abandoned and I highly doubt anybody is coming back for them. This goes on for miles and miles. Our best chance at saving Mogi is by seeing what we can find," he explained. "And besides, we have barely enough to get through the night as it is. We could use whatever food or water anybody had tried taking with them."

 

Watari nodded in agreement. "I suggest we hurry while we have some sunlight left. If we take too much longer, Mr. Mogi will not make it through the night. Time is of the essence."

 

With those words the group scattered. 

* * *

Misa and Sayu insisted on staying back to tend to Mogi while the rest of the group searched through the cars littered around them. Light, Matsuda and Aizawa were searching closely together. Their time was coming to a close. Once it was dark, they'd have to stop the search or risk not being able to see. The three of them were searching separate cars. They were ripping glove boxes open and sifting through personal belongings and anything that would catch their eye. Aizawa was able to salvage some canned goods and a few different containers of drinking water. He also grabbed whatever clothes he could find seeing as though theirs were tarnished and caked with leftover blood from earlier. 

 

"Anything?" Aizawa heard Matsuda call to him. "I'm finding food but I'm not seeing any medicine."

 

"Not yet!" The older man called back. "Keep looking! We don't have much time!"

 

Aizawa was now moving into another car. His system was efficient; glove box, seat, back seat and trunk. All side along compartments. When he moved toward the back seat something caught his eyes and it caused him to still completely. 

 

A car seat. A simple car seat. But something about this car seat made Aizawa inhale sharply and felt a stinging behind his eyes. There was blood caked all along the cloth fabric of the seat. The harnesses almost ripped off. For a moment, his world seemed to still. Then his breathing was completely sporadic.  _I can't... I can't do this. Holy shit, what kind of fucked world are we living in right now? I... can't do this._

 

Aizawa's thoughts came to a screeching halt when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder from outside the car. He whirled around and drew his gun so fast he barely made out the wide amber eyes staring back at him. 

 

"Whoa, hey! Calm down, it's just me!" Light hissed with enough force to make sure the other man understood. Aizawa was breathing heavily but he nodded and placed his gun back at his side. "What's wrong? Did you find something?"

 

Aizawa watched as Light leaned into the back seat. He saw the brunette freeze momentarily before he heard a sigh. 

 

"Aizawa..." Light murmured quietly while he stood back up. The younger man placed his hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye fiercely. "Look at me, not in there, okay?"

 

He nodded numbly.

 

"I know... I mean, dammit... I know, okay? But we  _have_ to stay focused. Mogi's life is in our hands right now and after losing Ukita and Ide, I really don't want to lose anybody else. So please... just stay focused on what we have to do to get through the night, alright?" Light reasoned calmly.

 

"Alright... yeah, I know." Aizawa nodded almost as if he was speaking to himself. He nodded to himself once more before speaking more clearly. "You're right. I'm sorry."

 

Light frowned deeply as Aizawa moved away from him and the car he was currently leaning in. His moved almost mechanically toward another car and began searching again. The brunette looked thoughtfully at the car seat inside of the vehicle and released a shaky sigh before following the other detectives.

* * *

 

"I would appreciate your help, Ryuzaki."

 

L sighed as he bit into his granola bar. His dark eyes observed the sun was almost down on the horizon. The detective guessed they had a good fifteen minutes left before it was completely dark. Sayu and Misa had managed to find an abandoned RV among the many cars along the highway. They cleared it out as efficiently as they could and had Mogi resting as comfortably as possible for the time being as the rest of them searched. L's thoughts were scattered though; more so than ever. He had never been the type to lose focus easily but his exhaustion was catching up with his body and even his mind.

 

The entire situation had escalated more quickly than he could register. Not even a month ago he was on a private jet on his way to Japan. He never would have entertained the thought of being caught up in this scenario.

 

L's dark eyes were downcast as he watched Watari opening a glove compartment and examining it's contents inside. He was at least grateful the older man was with him and that his associates were alive. Although he hadn't announced it for all to hear... he was also quite happy that Mello was alive as well. They had all assumed the worse, especially Matt. But L could see now he should have never doubted the younger man's ability to conform and survive.

 

"What are we doing, Whammy?" L asked quietly as he gnawed at the food. He leaned against the car the older man was searching.

 

Watari seemed to freeze momentarily at the name. He pushed himself out of the car and eyed L carefully. "I believe we're searching for some sort of first aid kit or medication for Mr. Mogi," he answered.

 

L pushed himself off the car and faced Watari. "No, I mean what are we  _doing_ Whammy?"

 

Watari stared back at L. He knew what the younger man was asking but he chose not to give an answer. They stood there for what seemed like minutes as the darkness began to creep through the sunlight. Or at least, he was interrupted before he had a chance  _to_ answer.

 

"Yo, look what we found!" Mello cut through the tense moment. Him, Matt and Near walked together through the line of cars and Mello held up a first aid kit triumphantly. "It's definitely been used but it's better than nothing!"

 

L and Watari continued to stare at each other. A stare that seemed to convey _we'll talk about this later._ They broke eye contact as the older man moved to take the first aid kit from Mello's hands. "Wonderful. Let's hope we find what we need inside."

 

The sun had set and everybody had regrouped. The camper was too small for all of them to occupy so while still being close by, Light along with Mello and Matt continued to search for supplies while Watari was able to apply antiseptic to Mogi's leg. The wound was slowly becoming infected but the disinfectant and bandaging would definitely slow it down and stop it from spreading. They had been very fortunate. Especially since Watari seemed to have a bit of medical experience.

 

When Watari had finished patching the man up, he sighed in relief. "That should do for now. I suggest you rest until we have to move again. We'll definitely be safer if we wait until sunrise," the older man explained.

 

Light and the others were able to salvage as many supplies as they could find. Inside different bags they packed canned food, clothing, water and other small items that could prove to be useful. On top of the RV, Watari and L were keeping watch as Light looked through their supplies of essentials and weapons. Among the group Light knew it wouldn't be a problem carrying all of this. It was a touch and go situation. Sayu was inside with Mogi, keeping an eye for any sign of fever of others symptoms of infection. Misa had fallen asleep inside of the RV. A few of the others had were falling asleep quietly inside of cars nearby. Light knew everybody was exhausted. He knew he was. When had he slept last? At Naomi's? His mind wandered over to the woman and her son. He wondered if they were safe and truly hoped they were still alive.

 

Matt and Near were currently standing outside of the RV as Mello climbed up toward L and Watari. Matt was savoring the inhale of his cigarette and exhaled with an appreciative sigh. "Man... I'm still hoping I wake up and this is some kind of fucked up dream," he said honestly.

 

Near regarded him through tired eyes. "We deal in fact, do we not? This is obviously not a dream."

 

Matt chuckled weakly as he flicked his cigarette. "Hence why I said 'hoping'."

 

Near's gaze drifted toward the three others up on top of the RV. He noted the frustrated look on his mentors face as he spoke to Watari. He could understand the frustration since he, himself, felt it as well. Where were they supposed to go from here? He hated to admit it but staying with Light and his associates seemed to be their only course of action until they figured out an alternative. 

 

Matt's gaze followed Near's and he nudged the younger male. "Don't worry about them. Just try to rest up. I'm sure we're not going to be safe here for long and we're going to need to figure out where to go next," he explained.

 

"Where  _are_ we supposed to go?" Near questioned quietly, almost as if to himself. He twisted a lock of white hair between two fingers. "It's not as if we have many options. We have no source of communications. No access to any outside networks. No... we have  _no_ networks at all the access, I should say. Whammy's is most likely―"

 

"Near... just stop, okay? I know where you're going with this."

 

"As I said, I deal in fact. I already know what L is discussing with Watari and Mello. We are essentially trapped with no way of getting back to Whammy's. That is, if it's still standing. The failed quarantine is enough to let us know that this infection has spread." Near spoke softly as he stopped twirling his hair. "Our best solution, as I had said before, is to continue venturing with Light and his companions. I'm sure you do not disagree?"

 

Matt exhaled the last of his cigarette carefully before throwing it down on the concrete and stomping on it. "Of course not... but you can't help but wish we had better options. I don't want to believe that the orphanage.... you know," he muttered quietly.

 

Near nodded in quiet understanding before Mello jumped down from the RV, L following with less enthusiasm. The four of them surrounded each other while gazing quietly toward Light and the rest of his family and friends. Though they were all thinking the same thoughts, none of them bothered to voice them further. Exhaustion was clearly catching up with them and they knew it. L figured they'd find a cot inside of the RV or simply find a car to sleep in. The thought made L shudder. He could only imagine how incredibly uncomfortable that would be but he had succumbed to much worse while undercover during certain cases.

 

Everybody's attention was ripped away when L turned his head sharply. Distantly, almost barely, a snarl caught his attention. Dark eyes squinted slightly in the dark and barely were able to retain much focus. When his eyes had adjusted, L could see a large group of undead walking in their direction. They were lined up directly along the highway.  _Damn._ L thought quickly.  _They must have picked up on our scent or the noise._

 

L whirled his head around to look up at Watari who was already positioned with his automatic rifle. "Warn the others, I will protect the camper."

 

"What's going on?" Misa asked as she stepped out of the camper. Her eyes were groggy and unfocused from just waking up. Mello had tried moving toward her but Light had beat him to it. He covered her mouth with his hand as he placed the other hand on his gun. They all began to regroup aside from Sayu, Mogi and Watari who were currently inside the RV. 

 

"Don't make a sound," Light hissed. Light and Mello made eye contact briefly before amber eyes moved toward L's onyx ones. "Everybody, duck under the cars right now," he commanded. "Quietly," he added. 

 

Soon after Light, Matsuda, Aizawa, L, Mello, Near, Misa and Matt were moving to lie flat on their stomach and scurried with haste underneath the abandoned vehicles. Their clothes tore against the rough concrete as they moved their way in. In that instance, a terrible feeling a dread was churning inside of each of their stomachs. The seconds ticked away with the sound of crickets in the distance as each of their breaths could be heard. Hearts were hammering away in their chests. Never had any of them felt such an intense sense of apprehension and unease.

 

Matt, Mello and L were ducked underneath and old truck with it's exterior body hanging quite low to the ground. It made it uncomfortable for them to stay still. Matsuda, Aizawa and Near had ducked beneath a semi-wheeled truck. The bottom of the truck was lifted high enough where if it weren't for the dark, they would have been seen immediately. Light and Misa were beneath a much smaller car. The brunette did his best the silence Misa's panicked whimpers as the walkers began advancing and passing the cars. 

 

Watari hadn't fired a single shot. Light imagined it was because it would cause complete chaos. The entire group was high with anxiety and tense in their movements as they tried to stay as still as possible. Light even tried his hardest to breathe as little as he could. All it took was one wrong move, one sudden noise; they'd be dead in an instance. Seconds felt like hours, minutes felt like distant eternities. Slowly, the footsteps and dragging of feet began to slow down. Light couldn't make out too much with the limited light they had, but he could tell the horde was moving passed them. He felt an intense relief. Perhaps they'd be safe for the night and be able to move forward after tomorrow in the morning.

 

"Light!"

 

At hearing his name, Light was momentarily frozen. His hand that was wrapped around Misa's wrists had suddenly been yanked away. All Light could register in that moment was Misa's blue eyes wide with fear as her legs were captured in the hands of a walker. "Light!" she had shouted again.

 

This drew attention to them immediately. Suddenly, the undead turned their attention away and began moving toward the direction of the screaming. 

 

"Shit!" Light hissed as he moved to grab both of Misa's hands. "Misa,  _don't_ let go of me!"

 

She did her best to hold tight. With her legs, she used her booted feet to kick one of the walkers effectively in the face. It caused the creature to stagger away from her but soon another one had taken it's place. Misa closed her eyes and her painted finger nails were digging deep into Light's outter hand. She really did try to hang on. It was already too late and Light knew it deep inside. She had made too much noise and all attention was drawn to her. Misa had been dragged out from beneath the car.

 

Light could barely see as he rolled from underneath the car and stood up in a swift motion. His eyes searched for his wife but all be could see was darkness. "Misa!" he called out. 

 

Mello had heard Light shouting and instantly felt his stomach drop.  _Shit_ , he thought. He began making his way out from his place on the concrete and Matt's hands stopped him. "What're you doing?!' he whispered harshly.

 

"Making sure nobody fucking  _dies_!" he responded and was on his feet quickly. "The jig is up, Matt. Get your guns ready. They would've been after us next," he explained after. 

 

Everyone had left their spots beneath the vehicles and began opening fire. Many of them were missing their shots due to the limited vision. Light, L, Matsuda and Aizawa seemed to be the most accurate shots. Right before a walker had approached L, Watari was able to use his rifle to maintain the proximity of the camper. Through the echo of gunfire, Light was barely able to make out where Misa had gone.  _Dammit!_ He couldn't shoot and keep an eye of her at the same time. A walker had approached Light and he did his best to rip the knife from his side pocket and take it down as quietly as he could. If they had more time to prepare for this assault, he would have warned the others to do the same.

 

It was already too late though and Light knew it. The last thing Light had seen within his obscured vision was Misa running into the woods along the side of the highway. A splash of pink was seen through the darkness. More importantly, most of the undead were following directly behind her.

 


	13. Reverse One: L

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning from L's point of view.

Long fingers work effortlessly against the laptop keyboard. They moved flawlessly without fail.

 

"L, our flight leaves in two hours. It's time to leave."

 

Those long fingers ceased their typing. "Excellent," a deep voice replied.

 

Without a second thought, L began closing his laptop and slide off his chair in front of the desk of his suite. Dark eyes glanced out the window for a moment, observing the dreary sky and the patter of rain outside of Whammy's. It wasn't very often he'd come back to the orphanage. Him and Watari were consistent and always had different cases open. It was unfortunately a terrible world and crime never ceased. 

 

But they were between cases when headlines from Japan began catching his eye. It had only been a week and half of being back at Whammy's House and he was beginning the feel restless. He didn't take breaks. He didn't need breathers. This is what he lived for. This was his life and he had long since accepted that. For over two weeks during the airings, police agencies from Japan began reaching out to him.

 

A serial killer. Nothing extraordinary but it certainly would contain his boredom. 

 

L strode through the halls of his private suite and shoved his hands into his pockets. Once he followed Watari downstairs he was surrounded by small children. They were happily chatting away and playing among themselves. A few turned their heads and smiled a bit brighter in his direction. As much as he may not have wanted to admit it, it made his chest a bit tight when those smiles were directed at him.

 

He had been that young once, he understood.

 

When he felt a small boy hugging his waist, he looked down to see bright eyes staring up at him. Watari chuckled next to him. "I'll bring these outside," he said as he took their luggage along with him.

 

L sighed a patted an awkward hand on top of a mess of brown hair. "I'll be back," he assured. 

 

A few others students moved closer. "How long will you be gone for?" One of the children asked.

 

"Hm..." L brought a finger and tapped it against his lips. "A week perhaps... no, two weeks at most. So if the lot of you would assure me you won't terrorize these halls while we're gone..." He felt his lips twitching despite himself when he heard the children laugh. He moved away from them shortly after and made his way outside the main doors. "Do mind Roger while we're gone!" He called out after.

 

The air was cool but thick as L shuffled his way toward the car. The rain touched his skin briefly before he slid inside the back seat. Roger was sitting with Watari as the detective glanced once more at the orphanage. He felt a sort of nostalgic feeling every time his eyes looked up at the building. This had been what he considered 'home' for decades. He would ponder time to time what his life would've been like had Whammy never taken him in. 

 

Those thoughts had disappeared sharply as they pulled away from the property.

 

* * *

"We'll alert you as soon as we arrive," Watari explained to Roger as he finished unloading the car. L did his best to remain inconspicuous in the public eye. Rarely did he find himself addressing cases physically with his presence like this. The last time he had it had been...

 

Well, it had been a long time ago.

 

L, or rather him and Watari, owned a few private planes and helicopters for emergency cases and traveling on their own terms. L was uncomfortable being in public after so long. Although he understood the risks of his profession he did try to value his life. So when they arrived at a private air strip in Winchester they began boarding the plane. Roger, one of the co-founders of Whammy's House and trusted associate, said his goodbyes to Watari as well as himself. L had a fondness for both men although he was by far closest to Watari himself.

 

"Take care of yourselves, I'll be monitoring from the orphanage. Is this any set instructions you'd like to me to relay to your successors?" Roger had asked as he closed the doors to the sleek black Audi. L wouldn't admit it aloud but it happened to be one of his favorites. 

 

"Have them observe while you're in conference with us and have them look over the files I've left for them. I plan on testing them when I come back," the detective replied. "Near is working on a project of his own and Mello and Matt are set to leave for the states within the week. Make sure they're properly prepared."

 

Roger nodded. "Understood."

 

L nodded quietly and turned toward the plane without another word and Watari followed behind him. He gave Roger and final wave before stepping into the aircraft.

* * *

 

Japan was, in it's own right, a beautiful and exotic place. It held so much tradition and culture and it fascinated L. Tokyo itself was too busy for his liking. He'd been raised in Winchester and it was a sleepy and quiet area. L did enjoy a change of scenery as he couldn't stay in one place for very long. Although he didn't appear publicly he did travel quiet often. He was usually at Whammy's House a few weeks out of the year with Watari by his side every step of the way.

 

The first fews day L and Watari were jumping from hotel to hotel, attempting to get settled. L found it unnerving to move around this much only within the span of a few days. He needed an environment more stable to work in and Watari seemed to catch onto the rather quickly.

 

"There are office spaces and buildings for rent within the city. If that would suit your needs better..."

 

L was sipping quite loudly on his steaming cup of tea. "You know me well," the detective sighed while munching on a piece of strawberry pocky. He'd come to enjoy these delicious little snacks. "Find something suitable to our situation. Looking over these case files... I'm beginning to think we'll be here longer than two weeks."

 

L's first order of business was setting up communications with the local police. The detective had gone over his own case files regarding the killings and knew he needed more local information. The killings originated in the Kanto region of Japan only a matter of days ago. The police were seeking his guidance and he was more than happy to oblige given the nature of the case. Killings were his area of expertise. Especially sporadic ones such as these.

 

Before the conference call was made, L had received files for each member of the force from the NPA. He was careful and thoughtful as he selected those of higher rank.

 

The first video conference had gone better than L had expected.

 

When L had seen Light Yagami for the first time he could sense an aura around him that surprised him and fascinated him at the same time. Light sat on the other end of the screen with arms crossed across his chest and a small airy smile that L could've almost mistaken for a smirk. The group of detectives that L was introduced to was impressive but they did not seem to shine the way Light did. There was a vast intelligence that L could see behind the brunettes gaze.  _Arrogance... no, pride perhaps?_

 

L understood and found himself, nonetheless, smiling behind the thumb that brushed against his lips.

* * *

 

That night, Watari received news from Chief Yagami.

 

"Ryuzaki," Watari interrupted. L was currently comparing case files and regarded the elder man. "I have Chief Yagami on a conference call. I'm afraid it's not the best of news."

 

L abruptly pushed the case files aside and followed Watari to the other end of the hotel room. He placed the computer's microphone in front of him. "Chief Yagami, what has happened?"

 

L could already see the weary look on Soichiro Yagami's face. His looked ten years older than he had earlier that morning. He hair was in more disarray than L's was. Behind Soichiro the detective could see most of the fellow detectives he had assigned to the case. They all looked exhausted. Something seemed to catch L's eye and his sharp mind quickly realized Light Yagami was no where to be seen.

 

Soichiro sighed. "I'm afraid we ran into a situation earlier this evening. We received a tip from an anonymous source that there had been an abduction inside of the city. Detective Yagami and Detective Matsuda were the first to respond and went after the abductor. It turned into an almost 10 mile car chase over the main highway outside of the city. Officers responded and set up spike strips to stop the car..."

 

Soichiro seemed troubled; silent for a moment. "Please, continue Chief Yagami. I need to know what happened next."

 

The older man let out a quick breath before continuing. "The abductee was a young college student named Hanae Kotomi. She was studying to be a biochemist. She took a bullet wound to the head and died instantly. The abductor was shot down shortly after as he tried to fire at our officers. He died from his injuries as well. We are still trying to figure out his identity but are having no luck. We're not even sure where he's originally from in Japan... Detective Yagami was the one who closed off the scene."

 

"Shouldn't Detective Yagami be reporting this to me himself? Might I ask where he is?"

 

L noticed the tenseness in the room as he spoke Light's name and instantly knew something had happened to the young man. 

 

"He's... in a medically induced coma."

 

"Mr. Yagami, I need more detail than that!" L's voice surprised even himself in it's hardness. 

 

"After Light closed off the scene..." L noticed Soichiro had switched to saying Light's first name rather than detective. "We hadn't noticed there was a second suspect taking cover in the trunk of the car. He slipped out without our notice and shot Light between the shoulder blade and his chest while his back was turned. An artery ruptured and he was immediately taken in for surgery..."

 

"They don't think he'll survive," Soichiro added quietly.

 

After the video call, L turned to Watari and his expression was grim. "I'd like to set up our base of operations as soon as possible. Rent out or buy the current building in the center of the city if you must. I'm also calling the successors here as soon as possible. These killings are not as unsystematic as we originally thought. Whoever is organizing this is recruiting and knows exactly what they're doing. They're targeting vital members of the NPA and it's only a matter of time before they begin killing more of them."

* * *

 They had a base for the case. L felt a bit more breathing room at the thought. The building Watari had purchased was an old office building.

 

Over the course of the next few days, L was able to get a hold of Mello and Matt to bring to bring them to Japan. Watari was successful in getting Near to fly out to them as well. Although the three of them didn't get along very well... they were flawless when they worked together.

 

And L needed an extra set of eyes and minds for this case.

 

Matt was able to convert the entire main floor into his own personal technological playground. L was impressed with Matt's level of expertise in this area. It saved L quite a bit of trouble trying to set anything up himself. Mello was able to organize weaponry and began to make plans of his own to interrogate the man who had managed to shot Light without notice. Several gun shot wounds but the man was alive and L knew if anybody could get a confession out of him, it was Mello.

 

Near worked alongside L and Watari. He was quiet but deadly with his intelligence and L never underestimated him. L was more than confident with these three young men. They showed so much promise for L's legacy and the future of Whammy's House. L was confident with these three and Watari, they'd more than likely find their killer.

* * *

 

"Mello, status please."

 

"This fucker isn't opening his mouth unless it's to spit blood. I'm not getting a damn thing out of him," Mello replied back with a sigh. L held the phone away from his face between his thumb and forefinger. "Want me to keep beating the shit out of him?"

 

"No, there'd be no point in questioning a corpse." L replied flatly. "Give him time to recover and than try again. Repeat the process if you must. We're running out of time," he added.

 

L's impatience was coming through. For 4 days, Mello had been, without rest, physically and psychologically interrogating their current suspect. L had considered having Matt go with him for simple observation but Mello had a natural past with violence and he didn't shy away when an opportunity presented itself. Matt didn't stomach that quite the way Mello did though Matt has been known to get his hands dirty here and there.

 

Hours later, Near received the next call from Mello. "I've got him talking but he's talking fucking nonsense."

 

"What sort nonsense?" Near asked while twirling an idle strand of white hair.

 

L moved to take the phone from Near's hand and pressed the speaker button. "Mello, what's he saying?"

 

"I'll... well, I'll just let you listen."

 

Everyone centered where L was sitting and a quiet murmur was all they could hear. Over and over, like a quiet chant, L could distinctly make out what was being said. 

 

"We're... all dead anyway," a hoarse voice repeated. 

* * *

It was 3 in the morning and L crouched quietly in the chair in front of the monitors. Everyone else had retired for the night while L continued to work. He couldn't shake the terrible feeling of foreboding that crept through his skin and into his veins. Mercilessly for hours L tried to draw every possible conclusion and hypothesis to what brought the current case to be.

 

Facts were these targets were well educated and in the same line of profession. As Light had stated previously, these weren't very common lines of work. So the detective couldn't help but wonder  _why._

 

_We're all dead anyway._

 

The words replayed over and over again. There were so many possibilities to the truth behind those words and L couldn't shake them away. More spontaneous mass murders were taking place through out the United States. L was at first very unconcerned but soon his train of thought had changed. Before L and his associates knew it, these murders were spreading all over the globe. It was truly an act of mass genocide. 

 

_What is the possibility that there is some truth to those words. Perhaps we have misconstrued the truth all along and there is a bigger matter at hand? I'll pass this information to Roger tomorrow and have him get a hold of some of the world leaders. It would be wise to share this information ahead of time in case this really is out of our control. There is something else going on here... something that is being covered up through these killings._

 

_For once, I'm not entirely sure what that is._

* * *

 

Over a week and half had passed before L told Mello to abort the suspect. For days on end, the suspect kept repeating the same mantra to himself with abandon. It was very possibly the man was losing proper brain function from the brutality of Mello's methods but this was no time to be considerate. This man had shot Light Yagami to his death and now was responsible for more than that. He knew something. Perhaps his chanting was a way to self soothe himself from the situation.

 

During a video conference with Roger, L was the first to notice the video feed was cutting in and out to the point where it wasn't just an interference. 

 

"Matt, check the network connections please. Our feed isn't coming through very well." Watari instructed as he went to assist Matt.

 

L waited momentarily before the video is cut off completely, leaving a blank screen staring back at him. L tried pushing several controls along the keypad and nothing seemed to help. "We have completely lost connection to Whammy's. Please let me know when you have the network back up," he said.

 

Matt walked by L and tapped along the keypad as well. "Um... "

 

"What?" L questioned.

 

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news... but the connection is completely cut off. Like, nada. Zip."

 

"That makes absolutely no sense. Unless there is a nationwide black out there's no reason we can't connect to a simple live feed."

 

"I'll do what I can... but I can't work a miracle." Matt said while bending underneath the monitor to observe the wires there.

 

Hours passed and Matt was unable to get a proper connection. He was able to establish a very weak signal and L used this opportunity to check on the status of the detectives at the NPA. It had been many days sense he'd last heard from any of them and he needed updates.

 

His call was cut off again.

 

 _Well this is becoming quite frustrating._ L thought to himself. "Watari, get a hold of Mello. See if we can use him to get an update from Chief Yagami."

 

Watari had reached for his personal phone and brought it to his ear. After a few pregnant moments, Watari furrowed his brow and brought the device to his side. "My call is not going through, perhaps you should try?"

 

L hesitated briefly but complied. He was calling Mello's personal phone and received the same issue.  _"The call you are trying to make cannot be completed as dialed, please check the number―"_

 

Near had cut through L's stunned silence. "Ryuzaki, I suggest you turn the news on immediately."

 

Not hesitating for a second, L and Watari both moved together and were able to get the news onto the main monitors. L watched with carefully calculated eyes as the news anchor, a young woman, was reporting along the outskirts of the city. L could see a few of the larger buildings behind her but gathered she wasn't very far from their location. 

 

_"―appear to be having technical difficulties but will stay on the air as long as possible. Reporting from downtown Tokyo, this is Junko Kaori reporting in from New's Station 6. We're in front of what appears to be a zone that has been cut off from the general public and we, along with many other news stations, are trying to fill you in on what's happening._

 

_"―earlier this afternoon, a local police officer was attacked in a brutal assault along this very highway. Police forces are stepping in the assess the situation. We're currently waiting to hear back from our sources―"_

 

 L found himself leaning heavily to the point his nose was nearly touching the screen. He didn't understand why Near had insisted on turning this station on but he didn't tear his eyes away for a moment. If Near had seen something unusual L would assume it pertained to the situation at hand. From the corner of L's vision, he could see officers struggling behind the reporter. She seemed completely oblivious to what was happening and continued to look directly into the camera with a polite and curt expression.

 

Matt tilted his head and murmured a quiet: "What the hell?"

 

L couldn't explain it and didn't know how to describe the surge that was sent through him the moment he watched another person, a older man with clammy skin and a vacant expression along his features, come up from behind the reporter and grabbed her forcefully. The woman struggled but could not escape his grip. The world suddenly made no sense around him as the mans mouth attached itself to her neck. 

 

The camera had dropped after that and all L and his associates heard was panicked screaming tearing it's way though the air. Matt stumbled back, his eyes wide and hand covering his mouth. "Oh my God... holy shit, holy shit guys―" His voice was rising with absolutely panic. 

 

L was for once speechless. His fingers were shaking, twitching at his side. The noise in the room calmed to a dull roaring and L wasn't sure if it was around him or just inside of his mind. Though the camera was on the floor, L had seen blood cascading on the concrete and the woman's body being devoured from the side. In all of his years, he had never seen anything like this. Was this real? Was this happening? 

 

_Is this... is this what he meant by we're all dead anyway? Could it be that this was our warning?_

 

Mello was still out there somewhere and L could hear Matt panicking from that fact alone. If the left the building they'd be walking into mass hysteria and would most likely be killed. Upon watching the man―no, creature eat the woman alive, L couldn't stop the panic that was now surging through him.

 

_I don't understand what's happening here._

* * *

It had been two weeks since the first attack.

 

It had now turned into a nationwide outbreak.

 

More and more people were being devoured and dying.

 

And they were trapped.

 

When L had gone to the roof days later to assess their situation, he was nearly shot at by military helicopters. The entire city and all around it had been quarantined. Nobody was allowed in and absolutely nobody was allowed to escape. L had lost news coverage days later and now had absolutely no means of accessing the outside world except through the very camera's Matt had installed around the building.

 

Watari insisted on using the buildings security system to ensure nobody get inside.

 

Matt protested and with good reason. L didn't voice it, but Mello's well being weighed heavy on his mind. Mello was cunning and resourceful but even L couldn't help but wonder if he'd survive on his own out there in the current state the world was in? His doubted fogged his judgement and he feared the worst.

 

"Whammy, what are we supposed to do? You really think sitting here is the answer? Mello is out there  _by himself_ and I'm not going to allow him to―"

 

"If you go out there Matt, you will be killed without a second thought. What good would that do Mello? Trust in him, he's quite capable."

 

L closed his eyes at the statement when Matt held back angry tears.

 

As more days had passed, the military had all but dissipated and these creatures roamed the city freely. The next time L had managed to get outside and onto the roof, he had looked down and saw mobs upon mobs of these horrific  _things_ infesting the streets around them. They were now not only trapped but surrounded.

 

L was starting to believe there was no help for them. With the quarantine Roger couldn't very well send for help and with the disease airborne L could only assume that it had begun to spread to other parts of the world. It was only a matter of time before they'd either get infected or die from lack of supplies. L did not voice his concerns but he was also quite logical and knew there was no way out.

 

But hope and surprise ignited in him when he met a familiar pair of deep blue eyes on his computer screen.  _Mello..._

 

_"Somebody open the damn door!"_

 

Mello was alive and L felt an immense relief flood through him. He was still as stone, unable to move. Behind Mello there were quite a few people with him. 

 

And most of them he had recognized instantly.

 

_"Please open the door! If anybody is there please just let us in!"_

 

L's hand began to move toward one of the buttons along the main panel but hesitated.  _Light Yagami... is alive?_

 

Behind them all was a massive horde of undead and they were closing in fast. L couldn't explain his hesitation in words but a hand moved to slap his away. "Dammit, L! Open the fucking doors before they're eaten alive!" Matt exclaimed and slammed his hand down upon the panel.

 

The doors opened outside and soon L watched as Mello and his companions made their way inside. Once they were safe, Matt moved to lock the building down. 

 

L composed himself quickly when Mello stepped into the room along with Light and his companions.

 

"I'm not quite sure who all of you are or  _why_ you're inside of this building to begin with," he began as his gaze moved to take in each person. "But allow me to introduce myself, I am Ryuzaki." 

 

 


	14. Gone Baby, Gone

It took everything in Light to remain focused. He was using the cars around him to his advantage and shooting from the hood. Through the exhaustion and the hunger he felt, he continued to fight alongside the most unlikely group of people. All Light could think of in those moments were thoughts of Misa being eaten alive and the thought alone made his stomach churn. She barely knew how to defend herself other than the brief moments Light had gone over the basics of proper gun handling. That wouldn't be enough to keep her alive.

 

If he didn't find her by morning she'd more than likely be dead.

 

So Light surged through the horde of walkers. His vision tunneled and he didn't seem to acknowledge anybody else around him. When Light noticed the silence that followed soon after the attack was over, he jumped down from the cars hood and made his way toward the woods.

 

"Light!" Sayu rushed toward her brother and stood in front of him. "Wait! We need a plan first!"

 

"We don't have  _time_ for a plan, Sayu! We need to find her and we need to do it now!"

 

L was surprisingly one of the few that responded to this. "If you do go after Misa, you'll more than likely be killed. We've just witnessed first hand the inordinate amount of the undead first hand. It would be suicide." 

 

Light couldn't tell if it was the casual way the detective had drawled out that statement or the way he was trying to convince him not to go after his own wife but it caused the brunette to spin and face L so quickly; it actually startled everybody around them.

 

"I've had enough of your negativity, Ryuzaki! To be frank, I highly doubt you'd even begin to understand what it meant to care for anybody other than yourself!" Light voice was raising octave after octave until he had exploded with fury, successfully causing those around him to take a step back. "Stay here, go our separate ways; which ever you decide to choose I  _don't care!_ But don't fucking tell me what is best when it comes to my  _family!_ "

 

Light hadn't realized how angry he truly was until he realized their were hands on his shoulders and he was being pulled back. The brunette glanced over his shoulder to see Matsuda ushering him away from L. Light didn't seem to notice that he was directly in L's face, screaming at him.

 

L took it in stride though. He simply stood there with an almost bored expression. From the look on Light's face, he'd have to say it made the man more angry by the second.  _I wonder if there has been anybody else that could crack the mask you wear, Light._

 

Light cheeks were tinted from anger and he was breathing heavily. It took him a mere few seconds to compose himself. He smoothed out his hair and let out a deep breath. He shrugged Matsuda's hand off of his shoulder and without a second glance disappeared into the wooded area beyond the road. 

 

"Shit," Aizawa muttered. "We can't let him run around by himself. I hate to admit it but Ryuzaki is right, going in there right now is a sure enough way to get himself killed."

 

"Best thing for us to do is have half of the group stay here and the other go in and help search. There is obviously no talking Yagami out of it," Mello replied while checking the barrel of his gun. "I'm used to scouting in the dark so I'll go in there with him."

 

Matt didn't even hesitate. "I'm going with you too, then."

 

"I'm in," Matsuda stated.

 

"Same," Aizawa supplied.

 

Watari stepped forward. "Then I suggest we make haste and you check your equipment. We'll stay here should Ms. Amane return while you're gone."

 

The group separated and began to make quick preparations. Matsuda was placing an extra gun in the side of his trousers and he noticed Sayu was doing the same thing. "What're you doing?"

 

"What does it look like?" 

 

"No way! We both know this is dangerous and Light would be devastated if something happened to you!" Matsuda tried retorting but Sayu gave him an impatient look.

 

"I'm not going to let my big brother run around the woods by himself with those  _things_ on the loose," she said while finishing with a sigh. "Please don't try to stop me. If you're so worried then make sure nothing happens to me."

 

Matsuda didn't get a chance to reply before Sayu followed the rest of the group into the darkness of the forest. Reluctantly, he followed behind them.

* * *

 

Light was  _angry._

 

Well, angry was an understatement. 

 

Sifting though the low branches, his boots crunched along the dead leaves beneath them. He was doing his very best to walk as soundlessly as he could. He kept a flashlight leveled with his eyes as he navigated through the forest. It was deadly silent aside from the sound of his own breathing. His mind back tracked to the night he had spent at Naomi's house that first night and recalled the massive amount of walkers. Though Light had seen a few here and there, they must have been more scattered through the wooded area. 

 

It left him wide open for an attack though. His body was tense with both anticipation and anger.

 

 _How dare that son of a bitch. What does he want me to do, leave Misa out here to die? Selfish bastard._ Light thought bitterly. The brunette didn't know what to make of the man at first. He was an enigma at best. Ryuzaki stuck out from the rest of his associates. Aside from Near, who seemed far too young in Light's opinion. But there was a vast intellect behind his eyes and Light knew he'd have to be a fool to believe he was naive just because he was young. Him and Ryuzaki seemed similar in that department.

 

Light's thoughts came to an abrupt stop when he felt something grab his shoulder. He turned on his heel and pointed his gun directly at Mello's head. 

 

"That's twice now, you trigger happy moron." 

 

Light sighed heavily. "Dammit, I'm sorry." And he was. As far as he was concerned, Mello was alright in his book. He may have been a bit on the blunt side but judging from the looks of it, his group all seemed that way. Light watched as Matt came up from behind Mello. "What're you both doing out here?"

 

"Helping you find your wife," Mello replied shortly and began advancing passed Light. 

 

"You really don't have to do that, I'm perfectly capable on my own."

 

"So you'd rather lose the numbers and risk Misa's safety?"

 

_He's got a point._

 

"Look, I'm not trying to drag anybody into my personal problems. I appreciate everything you've done for us but Ryuzaki made it pretty damn clear―"

 

"Ryuzaki doesn't speak for  _us_ ," Mello clarified quietly. 

 

Light closed his mouth after that and dragged a hand through his hair. "Right," he murmured more to himself than anybody else. 

 

The three of them began searching quietly around the area. Mello was walking ahead of Light while himself and Matt walked side by side. They kept their guns in front of them along with their flashlights. Whenever a sound was heard around them they'd all quickly extinguish their flashlights and wait for the crunch of footsteps to disappear. It was nerve wrecking, but they did their best to remain undetected.

  
"Where are the others?" Light whispered to Matt.

 

"Your friends Matsuda and Aizawa are searching a different part of the woods right now along with your sister," Matt replied quietly. "There's a lot of ground to cover and we don't have very much light."

 

Light sighed. "I know... I'm sorry, I just―" He cut himself off. "I'm sorry for everything really. I shouldn't have lost my temper with Ryuzaki that way."

 

There was a silent chuckle from his left. "Ryuzaki has a way with words. He doesn't have a filter and he generally pisses people off the second he speaks. But... he's actually not a bad person. He was trying to help in his own way, I think."

 

Light didn't think Ryuzaki was a bad person but than again, he didn't  _know_ Ryuzaki. All he had gathered so far was his direct personality, his terrible posture, the deep circles beneath his eyes that seemed to calculate every move you were making. He didn't know  _any_ of these people. But here they were, doing whatever they could to help Light and his family. Light needed to be grateful for small mercies.

 

"I'll have to apologize to him after we've found Misa."

 

The darkness surrounded them in it's embrace as they continued to comb through the area. Hours seemed to pass and there was absolutely no signs of Misa. There was hardly any signs of life at all. The walkers were at a minimum but Light had to wonder where the horde went that chased after her. It was too quiet. Exhaustion was hindering him greatly and judging from his companions... it was affecting them as well.

 

Light pressed on though.

* * *

 

"Ow!" Matsuda hissed as he walked into yet another branch. "That stings so bad..."

 

"Shh!" Sayu hissed while placing a finger against her lips. "Will you keep quiet? You're going to draw them right to us!"

 

"Both of you need to stop arguing with each other otherwise you're both going to get us killed," Aizawa intervened. "Now's  _not_ the time to have lovers spat."

 

Matsuda and Sayu were grateful for the darkness that hid both of their blushing faces. They continued on while keeping the conversation to a minimum. Aizawa led them further and further into the deep forest. They had run into a few walkers which was easily taken care of. Each of them used their knives rather than their guns unless it was absolutely necessary. Aizawa was beginning to lose faith that they'd find Misa, though.

 

He didn't voice that to anybody.

 

He wasn't going to let Light search on his own and he was thankful that Mello and Matt had volunteered to search with them. Although Aizawa hardly knew them... they seemed like decent enough people. He owed Mello for helping them in their desperate time of need and he was grateful that they had the extra man power with them. They were going to need it if that had any chance of even making it out of these woods alive.

 

"Guys, hold on a second! I heard something!" Matsuda whispered urgently.

 

All three of them abruptly stood still and listened attentively. From Aizawa's right, he could see shadows slowly moving toward them. He had a moment of hesitation before they moved quietly and grabbed the walkers, successfully dragging them down onto the ground and slipping the knife against their skulls.

 

"I'll never get used to this," Sayu muttered as she withdrew her knife. Aizawa couldn't have agreed more.

* * *

 

 L was sitting on top of the camper, simply staring off onto the horizon. He could see the faintest bit of light splash across the bottom of the sky and knew the sun would be rising soon. Light and the others had been searching for  _hours._

 

 _What is the likelihood they'll all return back alive? Should I have gone with them?_ L thought briefly at the confrontation him and Light had and immediately went against the idea. Although he understood Light's frustration the brunette had to of known he was correct. In all of his irrationality, Light wasn't thinking as clearly as he should. None of them actually were, if L had to be honest with himself. Even  _he_ was feeling the fatigue catch up with his body. How many days had they been running without sleep?

 

L turned his head a bit to the side when he noticed Near had come up next to him. He remained standing and looked down at L. "What is the probability of that woman returning back here alive?" he asked.

 

L didn't miss a beat. "Less than 5%."

 

"Is that an educated guess?"

 

"It's common sense," the detective replied. 

 

Near didn't reply after that, he simply stood there and stared off alongside L. He couldn't fathom or comprehend the situation at hand but he did what he could to remain level headed. He didn't blame Light for retorting against L but he also agreed with L in the long run. The danger was obvious and searching during the night was absolutely madness. But had it been someone important or close to Near... he wondered if he'd be doing the same exact thing.

 

"Do you believe Whammy's House is still standing?" Near asked without looking at the detective.

 

"Are you asking for a percentage or simply inquiring my opinion?"

 

"However you choose to answer," was Near's reply.

 

L was silent for a few moments before he replied: "No, I do not. The infection has spread beyond the quarantined zones. With how quickly it had spread in the air there is a very great chance it has reached most of the world by now. We have not heard from any of our own contacts and we both know Roger is a resourceful man," L narrowed his eyes briefly. "Unless Matt can build a device that could connect us to him and the probability of that is quite low. We are, in every sense of the word, immovable."

 

_It seems like Light and his family are as well. They do not have a home to go back to... it seems neither of us do. How are we supposed to move forward from here? For once in my life, I do not know what I'm supposed to do._

 

Near made a small noise in the back of his throat. "Matt thinks otherwise."

 

"Matt was always the optimistic one."

 

Watari had appeared within the next few minutes holding two steaming cups. "I came across some black earl in one of the compartments in the kitchen. It leaves much to be desired but I'm sure it'll do," he explained while handing the cups to L and Near. "Mr. Mogi is healing nicely. His fever is nearly gone and his wound looks much less infected than a few hours ago."

 

L nodded, grateful yet another person hadn't died.

 

"No sign of Light and the others?" Watari inquired as he adjusted the automatic rifle along his side. "His wife?" the elder man added.

 

"Negative," L replied while taking a sip of his tea. "Perhaps I should have gone with them... despite everything."

 

"Light is quite capable, it wouldn't do any of us good if we left Mr. Mogi open for attack. Nor would it help if Misa happened to return and nobody was here to ensure her safety." Watari explained. "If worse comes to worse, I'll leave the RV to the two of you and join in the search."

 

"That's absurd!" L exclaimed and inwardly winced at the volume of his voice. "If anybody will enter the search it will be me," L said with certainty. Watari appeared surprised by his outburst. "I'll give them another half hour and if they're not back by then, I will offer my help. Until then we'll remain here and continue to watch."

 

When L offered no further explanation, Watari nodded in quiet agreement and began to descend back down to the main level of the camper. "As you say."

* * *

 The sun was beginning to make its ascend and Light couldn't have been more grateful. The added morning light allowed them to scope the area with so much more accuracy. For hours, Light felt as though they were going in complete circles. A part of him hoped Misa had found a place to hide until the morning and perhaps she'd made her way back to the highway.

 

Matt suddenly plopped onto the ground, reaching in his blazer to pull out a pack of cigarettes. "I've got to stop for a second guys. Any more walking and I'm going to fall over, I swear."

 

"Thank God somebody said it," Mello muttered as he leaned against a tree. 

 

Light nodded and took a seat on the ground himself. He wiped a hand along his forehead and then ran a hand down his face. "Sorry... I hadn't realized how long we'd been walking for. You guys should have said something sooner."

 

Matt lit his cigarette and waved a hand nonchalantly. "It's cool. You've got more pressing issues to worry about then us."

 

Light frowned deeply at statement.  _Dammit Misa... where the hell are you?_

 

The brunette was beginning to feel such dread in his stomach that it practically coiled. Perhaps their best chance was to return the Ryuzaki and the others and make sure Misa hadn't returned. They very well may have been searching all this time and she may be back where they started.

 

Light's head snapped up when he heard a gun cock and his eyes fell on Mello. "What?"

 

"I hear footsteps, quiet."

 

Light and Matt straightened quickly at that and made a move to bring out their own weapons. Light could hear the sound of not just one pair of footsteps but many. He kept a steady hand on the trigger of his pistol and kept his gaze locked toward the noise. It wasn't until the familiar face of his sister came into his view that he lowered the gun with a relieved sigh. "It's okay, it's just the others."

 

Light made a quick dash to his sister. He immediately noticed there was no sign of Misa with them. "Anything?" he asked.

 

Sayu's frown was deep when she shook her head. "I'm sorry Light... we've been moving non-stop and there's no sign of her." 

 

Light followed Sayu's gaze toward the ground and did his best to keep himself together. He couldn't bring himself to give up. 

 

"Light," Aizawa started while placing a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Listen... look at me," he commanded softly. Light lifted his eyes to meet Aizawa's. "I don't want to be the bad guy and you know you and Misa are practically family to me... but I don't think she made it, Light. We've covered so much ground and I think Misa is smart enough to know to stay in one place if we were to get separated."

 

"Or she could be back at the camper!" Matsuda added in quickly. "We'll all head back there together and make sure! Don't lose hope just yet, guys."

 

"I hate to break this up but we have a serious  _fucking_ problem," Mello's voice rose with each word.

 

More noise drew everyone's attention. This time it wasn't as quiet as the sound of footsteps. It was the sound of infrequent movement from every direction. It had all happened so suddenly Light almost didn't have time to react when undead began moving from beyond the hill above them. They were moving directly toward them.

 

"Start fucking running!"

 

The command didn't reach Light's ears, however. His amber eyes were glued ahead and Sayu stopped in front of him and shook him. "Light, we have to  _move_! What on earth are you looking at?"

 

Sayu's eyes, along with everyone elses, followed Light's gaze and landed on a grotesque figure that unsteadily moved in a different direction. Light briefly caught the site of blonde hair and a pink dress shirt that stood out among the emerald confines of the forest. He couldn't move; couldn't rationalize what he was looking at even though deep down inside he _knew._ It felt as though a stone had dropped in the pit of his stomach.

 

Light felt his body being pulled forward and his eyes were ripped away. His body moved mechanically as they sprinted out of the woods and back toward the highway. All the young detective could think, going through his mind on an endless loop, was how he had failed yet again to save somebody close to him.

* * *

 

L had seen it. The haunted look that clouded Light's expression as they emerged from the woods and onto the highway. They all appeared exasperated and moved with urgency. L caught sight of Sayu's hands on her brothers shoulders as she leaned in to say something to him. From above the camper, L saw the glistening of tears along Sayu's face.

 

L had seen it and he recognized that hollow gaze. He had seen it countless times.

 

"It appears you were right," Near said lowly. L closed his eyes and inhaled quietly to ground himself at the statement.

 

_I've unfortunately never been wrong._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pleased with the responses I'm getting so far with Mortis Lux. As the chapters progress I get excited because there's just so much content to add in here. I hope ya'll are enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Already working on the next chapter so I should have it up soon. Kudos and comments are fuel for me so please feel free to drop a line or press that little heart button! Thanks again everybody and happy reading!


	15. Praemisit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or The Walking Dead.

_His vision was obscured._

 

 _Everything around him was a hazy mirage of terrified screams, growls and flame. All he could see was red. Within that redness of fury, a figure had stood out. The figure stood momentarily in silent contemplation before advancing forward. His grip was fierce and sure on his weapon. There was a madness surrounding him. He couldn't make who it was... but inside, he_ knew _. It made his heart swell and burst at the same time. It shattered him to his core and reconstructed all over again._

 

_He tried to reach forward, but his own hand in front of him faded into smoke._

 

Light awoke with a sudden jerk of his body and he was gasping.

* * *

 

"Well, it doesn't look like this hunk of crap is going anywhere."

 

Matt sighed and looked down at the display of an engine and wires; all the while smoke was rising in the air from said engine. They had been driving without fail for a solid day since the search for Misa. The walkers that had poured out of the woods scattered through out the highway and made their way back toward he city. Light knew they were fortunate that they hadn't been followed. Driving was a bit difficult on the main highways with all of the debris and vehicles blocking the way but they still had somehow managed to slip through.

 

Mogi had healed considerably since he was given the antibiotics and medicine. He was moving around the camper more freely and complaining less about the pain. Likely cutting himself on debris inside of the city, Light knew he had a high chance of dying had it not been for everyone's quick thinking.

 

Not much conversation had flown around, it was usually very quiet inside of the camper. Matsuda and Sayu were the two the usually strike up a conversation, Matt and Mello following shortly after them. Light found himself extremely complacent; quiet and unfocused. His mind kept replaying over and over the moment Misa had stepped out into his view. The haunting way she walked and the way her hair, usually always shining, was dull and clinging to the side of her face.

 

Light also thought of fire.

 

A sigh from Light's side caused his thoughts to halt all together.

 

"Great," Aizawa muttered. "Now we don't have a way to travel. We're stuck."

 

Mello scoffed. "More like we're fucked."

 

Watari sighed and wiped his brow carefully. "We'll find a way. Rest assured, there must be something we can do until we find a better solution," he tried to coax everyone's rising nerves.

 

"You've seen what's going on, right, Watari? You're not blind. Without any means of transportation and our supplies at a bare minimum, I'd say we've reached the end of the road here." Matt explained after a few short pulls from his cigarette.

 

Near tilted his head and regarded Watari. "Matt is more than likely correct. We've traveled for miles and have not found any signs of others."

 

L remained silent for the most part, crouching quietly on the ground next to the front of the camper. He hated to admit it, but he was in agreement with his successors. He could see Watari shoot the others a withering look.

 

Light's thought's were, for once, racing. He didn't want to doubt; didn't have any hope left in him either. He was just so _tired._ Had it even been a week since he'd awoken? In only a mere week his entire world along with the entire world around him crumbled and he couldn't figure out how to piece it together. Another first in Light's life was that he couldn't fix what was wrong around him. There was nothing that could stop this.

 

Was Near correct? Were they all going to wander aimlessly until they all died?

 

Light abruptly stood up from where he was sitting by the camper and began walking away from the highway and into the woods.

 

"Light?" Sayu inquired harshly. She started to move toward her brother when Aizawa caught her arm. "What're you doing? Let me go!"

 

Aizawa shook his head firmly. "Let him go. He's been through a lot in the passed few days," he explained. Aizawa's eyes traveled to Light's departing form and sighed. "He might just need a few minutes to process what's happening. Light is headstrong but he's just been through too much these passed few days."

 

Matsuda walked over and placed a comforting hand on Sayu's shoulder and Aizawa noted how quickly she relaxed. "Aizawa's right. Give him a little time. If he's not back soon, I'll go in there after him."

 

Sayu felt helpless as she watched Light walk away. She knew though that they were all right. With a shaky sigh, she reluctantly nodded her head and took a step back toward the others.

* * *

_Damn it._

 

All Light could see was the brushing green on the trees against him as he braced himself into the forest. 

 

_What the hell are we supposed to do now?_

 

Light felt a stinging behind his eyes for the first time in what felt like years. His boot caught against a low branch and he stumbled a bit as he descended deeper and deeper.

 

_Is this it?_

 

He could hear the faint sound of snarling from a distance but he was just too damn exhausted to care.

 

_Is this how we all die?_

 

A relapsing doubt ricocheted inside of him and he just couldn't shake it.

 

_Is this... how I'm going to die?_

 

Light stopped walking in an abrupt motion and looked down as he moved his shirt aside just enough to see a brief indentation on a scar. His finger tips brushed against it gingerly.  _How did I survive? Why am I still alive?_

 

_I don't understand._

 

It frustrated Light beyond all reasoning. Anger swelled inside of him at the thought of not being able to save yet  _another person_ he cared for. How many more of them were going to die? Fear also sweltered inside of him and it manifested into irrational thoughts that he had never thought before.

 

There was no sound logic. No puzzle to piece together. This was ultimately and undeniably hell and he was bound right in the middle of it.

 

A shaking growl caught Light's attention and his head whipped away from the treetops and found an undead figure making it's way toward him. Light hadn't realized his chest was heaving and his eyes were dilated. His hand moved on it's own accord and shakily grasped the knife that was holstered on his side. A scream tore it's way from his throat before he could stop it and he lunged forward.

 

All Light could see after those few hazy moments was blood all along his hands and shirt. It smelled foul and there was a stinging that was still in his eyes but it wasn't from tears anymore. His arm moved up and descended down  _over and over_ again; the brunette finally realized he was crouched over the walker and continuously stabbing it until there was barely a recognizable feature left on it's face.

 

Dammit, it felt so  _good_ though.

 

Light's teeth were gritting together and his heart was pounding inside of his ears and—

 

"—ight!" Stop!"

 

Light didn't want to stop.

 

"It's dead! Stop it, Light! You're making too much noise!"

 

Light felt his control snap back to him like a whip when a hand was grabbing his arm. His cocked his head shortly to see concerned eyes from Matsuda staring back at him. His arm was shaking in the others grip and it took a few more moments before composure took Light over once again. He shrugged himself out of Matsuda's grip and stood up. 

 

"I'm..." Light began, looking down at the corpse on the leave ridden ground. 

 

Matsuda took a respective step back and gave him a sympathetic look. "Light..."

 

"I'm..." Light tried again when his voice was steady. "I'm fine," he stated lamely. His flexed his hand after placing his knife to his side.

 

"I'm fine," he repeated more strongly. He took his hand and brushed it through his hair. Slowly but surely, his mind began to settle and he took a deep breath. 

 

Before Matsuda had a chance to reply, a soft roaring could be heard beyond the trees. It caused both men to turn their heads simultaneously to the noise. "What the hell is that?"

 

Light didn't bother answering, instead he began walking toward the disturbance. He heard Matsuda begin to protest but ignored it completely. They had made their way without aggravating any other walkers; although they were near. Their boots crunched along the leaves below them as they steadily moved up a hill and toward the end of the tree line.

 

"Light!" Matsuda whispered harshly. "What the hell are you doing? We need to get back to the others before they come looking for us!"

 

His words vanished in the air. Light didn't bother stopping until he was in the clear of the forest. His instincts were telling him to follow the noise; to find the direction the undead were coming from. Evidently, they were spawning from somewhere. When the trees no longer hindered Light's vision, he stopped his tread abruptly and a stuttered breath left him. 

 

_Holy shit._

 

"What is it?" Matsuda asked as he reached Light's side.

 

Light wasn't looking at Matsuda but he  _knew_ the other man's eyes had widened. In front of them was a steady few acres of land that was surrounded by bared wire and tall towers. All around it was unsteady and purposeless walkers. They were by the fences, the yards; the entire area around them. Beyond that... 

 

_A prison. How could I have not realized... we're almost twenty miles out from Tokyo. Sugamo Prison. I can't even begin to count the amount of times I've been here to escort suspects._

 

Something inside of Light's brain lit to life again. The doubt; the deep bellowing of destruction and death seemed to sizzle out from within him while hope somehow reignited inside of his body. Maybe there was still a chance for them all. Maybe there was a way they could preserve and survive in the end.

 

"Light, let's get back to the others before we're attacked."

 

Hearing his name, Light turned to meet Matsuda's eyes. The older man noted the amber hue that seemed to envelope inside of the brunettes eyes.

 

"Matsuda," he started while turning his head to look forward again. "I think we may have just found the solution to our situation."

 

"I don't understand..."

 

Light felt a small smile curve along his lips as he leaned against the nearby tree. He nodded his chin forward in indication. "We're going to go in there, eliminate all of the walkers inside and take over that prison." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the insanely long wait and the insanely short chapter. I've been so damn busy...
> 
> But I am SO excited! We officially are moving forward into the prison arc. YAY! If you have not seen TWD... let me assure you it's a HUGE plot point in the entire storyline. I can't wait to write it!
> 
> Next chapter should be up within 2-3 weeks. Thanks for all of the comments, kudos and love! Feel free to hit that little heart button or drop a comment! Thank you all so much again and see ya'll next chapter!


	16. And Then Time Stops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light and the rest of the group advance and try to clear the prison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Death Note or The Walking Dead.
> 
> Fair warning everyone... people die in this chapter.
> 
> ...and I'm sure you're not surprised by that.

The yard itself was massive, littered with bared wire fences that seemed to hold unsteadily. Only steady enough to ward off the group of walkers around the area. The undead mindlessly scrambled in attempt to get over the fence but to no avail. Light could remember each time he had come here, approximately twenty to thirty times. The entire prison was surrounded by a forest, which in Light's opinion, was a blessing and a curse. It meant that it shielded them from being seen while seeing invaders would prove just as difficult. Light tried to disarm every angle, every possibility, every course of action needed to see this through.

 

When he had walked back to the highway and explained what he had found, more than a handful of them opted against him. Apprehension and fear were crossed along everybody's features and Light understood why. So many of them had already died. How long had it been really... a measly couple of days? Not long enough since the wound by Light's shoulder still throbbed with a boiling pain.

 

Watari, bless the man, seemed to see beyond all reasoning and encouraged them all that this was one of the better options. They couldn't very well walk around the woods and jump home to home. They'd surely get killed and snuffed out in a matter of days. Their options were limited. Light saw beyond the walls of uncertainty that they'd steadily built around themselves and saw the possibility of creating something in the entire mess of a world. He had seen a chance to keep them all safe, granted... he didn't really know quite a few of the people traveling with them.

 

Mello, Matt and Watari had proven more than once that they were on their side through most circumstances. Light owed Mello his and his family's life, he was honest enough to admit that to himself. Light could recall being trapped inside of the tank, losing air and screaming out in fear and frustration. He remembered the agonizing feeling of being alone and giving up slowly. Light didn't feel as though he could possibly give up after everything he, they, had gone through in such a short period of time. So he tried his best to help them all see reason; to see the vision he was seeing.

 

He didn't want to die yet. He didn't want to give up. The moment in the forest with Matsuda made him realize how quickly he had turned and nearly given up on living. But Light Yagami didn't give up; he did not lose. He wasn't going to start, not now. Not after so much death. His parents, Ukita, Ide and now Misa. Steadily, one by one, they were being snuffed out and Light refused to go down without fighting.

 

"I'm in," Mello had responded at some point. He regarded Light with a withering look, but nodded, as if to himself. "I don't really think we have a lot of options at this point... but count me in."

 

They had all gotten ready, prepared in those few hours they had left during the day. They'd be moving in during the dusk hours when the undead activity began to die down. Their jobs were simple: Eliminate the walkers inside of the prison and the grounds. Find any supplies. Find food or pantries. Medicine. Any viable ways to supply water. Anything that would make it habitable.

 

With the sun setting behind them, the group advanced into the fields surrounding the area. It was eerily quiet, the only sounds were the rattling cages and fences around them as the walkers tried to get passed them. Light felt an overwhelming wave of anxiety wash over him but he squandered it down. Glancing on either side of him, he could tell everyone else felt the same waves crashing over them.

 

"We can do this," Light said.

 

Sayu swallowed a bit, her hands unsteady. "Light... there's so many of them."

 

Matt adjusted and cocked his weapon noisily. "If we stay together and don't break away from each other, we can take enough down to get inside. Once we shut that front gate, we'll only have to worry about the ones inside."

 

They all huddled close together, not overwhelmingly close, but enough to make sure they didn't wander away. They began to move forward soundlessly. Light could practically hear his footsteps along with the beating of his own heart. They were walking slowly toward the gate and once they had reached a certain point, heads move in unison to look at them all.

 

Light took a steady intake of breath. _This is it... they see us._

 

 

"Start shooting!"

 

Simultaneously, their shots rang through the air from their guns. It cut through the deafening silence as they advanced forward. The gate itself in front of the prison was quite large. To transport buses of suspects and criminals in and out of the grounds. It would take two or three of them at least to close it. When all of the walkers in the range of sound could hear them, they all attempted to get inside of their current formation.

 

Light instinctively reached for the knife at his side and brought it down against the creatures skull.

 

"Keep shooting! Do  _not_ move away from each other!"

 

L was standing beside Light, surprisingly, and one by one aiming with a precision unlike anything Light had ever seen before. With one of his eyes closed, his fingers moved swiftly when they pulled trigger. Just as quickly he'd reached to cock the weapon with a steady accuracy and began opening fire again. His dark eyes never lost focus; never moved away in fear. If he was afraid, he hadn't been showing it.

 

Near was pushed more so into the middle of the group. He did possess a fire arm of his own but being so close to everyone else made shooting difficult. Whether Near wanted to admit it or not, he hadn't yet killed a walker and didn't have to proper knowledge of how to. He did his best to aim when it was possible without shooting anybody inside of the circle. Matt seemed to step in front of him a lot, doing his best to shield Near when the moment arose. Near didn't understand it... but he certainly wasn't going to question it.

 

Sayu made a whimpering noise when more than one of the undead seemed to try prying her away. Matsuda was quick when he brought his gun up to the creatures head and shot right through it. The bodies of the walkers fell unceremoniously onto the ground. From every possible angle they continued to open fire. Their gazes were stern, unmoving; never breaking away. It was unlike anything they had ever seen and most of them were surprised they were even still alive at the point.

 

Little by little, slowly but surely; they were nearly through the threshold of the gate. If they could get through it... if they could somehow get passed it without losing control of the situation--

 

When they crossed their meeting point beyond the gates and fences, Matt, Mello and Aizawa all broke away from the group to begin shutting the gate. Walkers were still pouring in behind them and the three of them had to move quickly if it meant keeping them out and at bay from getting inside. With all of the strength the could muster, they began shutting the gate behind them. It was rotted into the ground from months of disuse and caked in mud. It made it increasingly difficult to push forward. But after a long and ticking few moments, the door was firmly closed.

 

Which meant now...

 

"All right!" Light began, moving away from the circle. "When we get inside, we're going to split up and move from the north and south cell blocks. Once we meet in the middle, we'll know we've completely cleared it."

 

Light, L, Watari, Near and Aizawa were in the north cell block while Matsuda, Matt, Mello, Mogi and Sayu were in the south. As instructed, they broken into two separate groups to ensure survival. Piling up through the slim hallways would have proven to be fruitless in the end. It would have caused delays in seeing if any of the walkers were coming from certain angles.

 

"Stay close to me," Matsuda instructed Sayu. Sayu was walking in front of the man while a few of the others were ahead. Mello kept his gun close as they advanced further. The power was clearly non-operational, making it difficult to see ahead of them. They hugged along the walls with one hand while keeping their weapons steady. 

 

"We should take out our knives, it might be better if we don't make any noise." Mogi had suggested.

 

"They'll smell us though," Mello countered. "The hallways are too small, this entire cell block is. Shooting or stabbing them really won't make a difference."

 

As Mello was explaining this, he reached to check on a few of the side doors of the hallway. Each appeared to be empty or filled with useless equipment from previous janitorial use. 

 

"Maybe we should go back with the others-- maybe we shouldn't have split up like this--" Sayu felt as though she had finally reached her limit with what was happening around her. She was breathing sporadically. Matsuda reached and turned her around the face him.

 

"It's going to be fine, you'll see. Imagine being able to sleep tonight without having to worry about a walker coming up and eating us. Imagine if we were actually  _safe_ for a change." Matsuda tried to encourage her; coax and soothe her. If she continued to panic, she would cause a scene and most certainly draw the undead toward them. "It'll be alright," he said again. He stared at her for a long moment and then stepped back after she nodded.

 

"You're right... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--"

 

As she was saying this, Mello began opening another door in the hallway and he was pushed against the opposite side of the door.

 

"What the fuck--"

 

Walkers were pouring out from beyond the door, reaching with grotesque and filthy hands toward Mello. Mello let out a surprised yell and aimed his gun quickly. Matt was by his side quickly and tried pushing the creatures back into the other room. 

 

"Holy shit! No wonder it's been quiet out here, they've been inside of this fucking room the entire time!"

 

Sayu seemed frozen in place as Matsuda ran to aid Mello and Matt. She couldn't quite place it. Maybe it was all finally catching up to her, but she couldn't move. She held her gun with trembling hands and watched as her friends all fought for their lives. She was just so  _tired..._

 

"Sayu!"

 

Sayu hadn't noticed a walker advancing toward her and pushing her further into the wall. She screamed, tried clawing at the creature with his hands as the gun had fallen onto the floor. She struggled, doing everything she could to keep the snapping mouth away from her face. It's breath was unlike anything she had ever smelled before and it's empty gaze was staring directly at her. Her boots were slipping against the concrete beneath her.

 

When Sayu closed her eyes, preparing for what was to come, something came barreling into the side of the walker. Sayu felt the breath rush out of her as she watched Mogi tackle the creature to the ground. Her eyes traveled upward and seen the other three of their group were too busy trying to push the horde back and away from them.

 

"Mogi!" She cried out. 

 

Mogi was successfully pinned to the ground. Over the course of the last two days, he had lost and immense amount of strength. Deep brown eyes could see the larger man was bleeding again. Not only from his leg but also from his neck---

 

The walkers seemed to have lost interest in Mello, Matt and Matsuda and raced straight toward the man currently helpless on the floor.

 

Time stood still when Mogi's eyes looked at her pleadingly. "Run!"

 

"Mogi!" Sayu exclaimed again. When she tried running forward toward him, Matt had grabbed her. "What're you doing? Help him!"

 

"Are you insane! You'll get trapped too!" He warned.

 

"But we have to get them all, we have to  _help him_!" She screamed.

 

Matsuda had attempted to cut his way through, Mello assisting him as he tried. But there was just no way they could get to Mogi with this many bodies on top of him. Matsuda looked as though he was about to completely lose control of himself. Mello had forgotten for a moment... but they had been working closely with each other for over a decade. Of course Matsuda and Sayu were so set on getting to him.

 

Mello understood, he really did. But he couldn't stand by and watch as they killed themselves saving a dead man walking. He looked down at Mogi with a gaze that conveyed  _I'm sorry._

 

"Lets go! There's nothing else we can do for him!" Mello moved toward Matsuda and began pulling the man back.

 

"You're just going to leave him there!"

 

"I said  _run_!" Mogi's voice seemed so far away from them. He was using what was left of the fight inside of him to keep the walkers mouths away from him. A scream tore it's way from his throat when he felt a searing pain shoot up his leg and his side. More and more pain began to flare and it was then he realized he was being bitten from all angles.

 

Mello persisted and continued dragging the man along with him. Matt had shared a glance with him before grabbing Sayu and sprinting with her beside him. When Sayu was running, she looked behind her and with a widening of her eyes, watched as Mogi was eaten alive.

* * *

 

 "Dammit, how many prisoners were in here?" Aizawa asked after shooting another three walkers.

 

"A prison roughly holds anywhere from four thousand inmates to about eight thousand--"

 

"I don't think he was asking for a complete explaination on prison life, Ryuzaki." Watari deadpanned.

 

The detective shrugged indifferently and walked beside Watari. The hallways were littered with bodies and a terrible smell was floating in the air. He kept his gun held below the elbows and his eyes were observing every single detail along the corridor. 

 

They had taken out at least a few dozen walkers as soon as they entered the wing. L surmised it was from prisoners turning while incarcerated with no means of escaping. On one hand, it was a sound plan. L had known before but he was now witnessing the true workings of Light's mind. One the other hand, it left them trapped and it would make escaping immensely difficult. So far they had been fairly competent and were clearing the hallways quickly. It would only be a matter of time before they reached the middle and the group could finally start coming up with a more steady plan.

 

"The gate in the front was open. I'm assuming the main prison staff abandoned the inmates during the outbreak while they escaped." Near observed quietly.

 

Light frowned deeply at that. A part of him, a very  _deep_ part of him, wanted to say  _good._ But another part of him, the better part, knew better than to think that way. Personal feelings aside, during a time of crisis like this, it was almost inhumane that these people were left to turn like this. Deserving to die was one thing. Nobody deserved this.

 

"More than likely," L had responded back. "Most prison staff absolutely _loathe_ the inmates they're forced to guard on a daily basis."

 

Light had agreed with that, he had seen that first hand.

 

They continued walking quietly, every now and then having to take out a couple of stragglers. Light felt an immense relief at the thought of this being the most they had to handle. The outside of the yard would take a day or so to clear but for the most part... as long as the inside was properly dealt with... they'd have a place to lay their head down.

 

"Don't you think we should have ran into the others by now?" Aizawa cut through the silence.

 

Light stopped walking and glanced at the other man. "...Yeah, we should have, now that you mention it."

 

Watari adjusted his glasses. "If you'd like, Light, we can split up and look for them. It seems we're all very well off in here."

 

Light was about to amend his agreement but a screaming had cut him short. The screaming was echoing through out the corridor and it bounced off of the walls. The entire time they've been in there, it had been entirely all too quiet. Light did his best to assure himself luck was simply on their side but the  _mourning_ in that scream was easy to hear.

 

_Fuck._

 

Light was moving before he had even realized it toward the sound and knew  _just knew_ something had gone terribly wrong. His body was rushing forward on it's own and his mind was reeling. The screaming sounded again and this time he knew with frightened certainty it was his sister.

 

_Oh God, please no. Not Sayu. Not my sister. She's the only family I have left._

 

L, Watari, Near and Aizawa were following close behind him as he raced ahead. As he rounded one of the cell blocks corners, relief flooded through him when he saw familiar faces, including that of his sister.

 

"Sayu!" He ran to her and grabbed her by lithe shoulders. "Are you okay? What happened? We heard screaming from across the main hall."

 

Sayu shook her head, refusing to meet Light's eyes.

 

"I'm sorry, Light. I'm so sorry... I..."

 

"Weren't there five of you?" Near inquired cautiously.

 

When the question arose, silence seemed to follow. It was thick and tainted the air around them. Light already felt the tugging inside of his stomach and  _knew_ the answer the Near's sudden question--

 

Mogi wasn't anywhere to be seen. Light could see Mello and Matt follow behind Matsuda in the shadows. The room continued to sit in the thick quietness of what was already known. 

 

Light swallowed thickly. "Mogi?"

 

Sayu's lip trembled and Light inhaled sharply.

 

"I'm so sorry Light, it's my fault! He pushed me out of the way because I just couldn't move! This is all my fault!"

 

The brunette reached and place his hands on Sayu's shoulders again. "Sayu, you need to calm down. There's..." Light trailed of, surprising himself with his next words. "There's no time to panic right now. We have to keep moving. If we keep standing here like this and making too much noise, we're going to end up trapped."

 

Sayu wiped her eyes furiously. "I'm sorry, I..."

 

Light tried to remain calm for his sisters sake, he really did. He was grateful he had been so well adapted to keeping his facial expressions neutral and passive otherwise he would have given into his own panic. He couldn't bring himself to believe how many of his own had already died. Mogi was always one of the most loyal, compassionate and kindest men. He didn't doubt he'd put himself in front of danger for Sayu's sake. Still... his heart clenched at the thought of him dying at the hands of these fiends.

 

The group, now all together, continued forward. There was a thick blanket of silence that lingered as they all held their weapons in front of them and moved with the flashlights that they had. The hallways were completely dark aside from the rapid shining from their own lights. There were certain points where the hallway would expand and give them all a little more breathing room. Light was able to catch a faint moving from their side and brought his knife up and practiced ease to exterminate it quickly.

 

Little by little, Light felt his instincts become more natural with taking down the creatures around them. Judging from the way the others around him moved, they were as well. The thought made Light sick... even if his body was becoming adjusted, his mind certainly took it's time adapting. But who could ever _really_ be prepared for this?

 

Each moment that passed with the sounds of their footsteps was maddening to Light. Each quiet second ticked by with the occasional sound of soft grunts from other parts of the prison. The cell block seemed to be almost clear and a part of Light truly wanted to say that they had accomplished the impossible. But nothing was ever as it seemed and the next few moments proved just that.

 

A startled noise was heard in a sharp intake of breath. As Watari was walking beside L, a decaying figure on the ground suddenly had reached up and grabbed the elderly mans leg. Watari struggled momentarily and everyone seemed to freeze in shock. The walker had moved so quickly when he grabbed his leg and snapped his jaw down on the skin beneath the suit. Watari let out a strong cry of pain and somehow managed to maneuver the creatures jaw from where it had attached itself to his calve. In was incredible and terrifying how in a single moment, everything around them could change from a single course of action. Light watched in silent horror as Watari staggered to the side while the detective standing next to him caught him. It was the very first time Light could say he saw a look of agonizing question cross the raven haired mans features.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG!
> 
> I started this story over a year ago... how crazy is that?
> 
> Thank you all for your support so far. Seriously, you've gotten me through such a hard time. Writing has been my release although I wish I could have written more. I haven't given up though, I am determined to see this through!
> 
> ... and the new season of TWD is out. Which means much more inspiration!
> 
> Please leave kudos if you've enjoyed or drop a line~!
> 
> I'm on tumblr! taintedashes.tumblr.com


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